


The Other 358 Days

by nadziejastar



Series: A Fragmentary Passage: At Dusk I Will Think of You [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Axel and Saix Backstory Fic, Canon compliant until KH3, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fix it of sorts, Lea and Isa Loved Each Other, M/M, Mind Control, Saix is Subject X, Suicide Attempt, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 143,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23337442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadziejastar/pseuds/nadziejastar
Summary: Nomura said that the title “358/2 Days” had a hidden meaning:“The 358 days are shared between two people, so ‘/2’, but I'd rather you imagine which two we are talking about. After you've finished playing it you might change your mind about who the two people are.”I believe that the the true meaning of the title was that Axel was reliving his past while watching what Roxas and Xion were going through in the present. For the entire year, he was experiencing déjà vu.This will be a retelling of “358/2 Days” from Axel’s (and sometimes Saïx’s) point of view. Axel’s thoughts, feelings, and motivations were kept intentionally vague throughout the series. This story will attempt to expand on exactly what he was feeling (which he kept hidden from Roxas and Xion), why he grew a heart, what kinds of activities and missions he was doing when Roxas wasn’t around, as well as provide flashbacks of his and Isa’s dark past.
Relationships: Axel & Roxas & Xion (Kingdom Hearts), Axel/Saïx (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: A Fragmentary Passage: At Dusk I Will Think of You [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678972
Comments: 10
Kudos: 61





	1. Day 1: The Beginning of the End

_Who the hell made the neon lights in this city?_ Axel thought, looking up. Without a moon or stars, this world’s sky was pitch black, and it seemed as though it was pressing down on him.

“Where do you intend on going?” someone called out like they’d been keeping an eye on him the entire time. In a place like this, there was only one person that could be.

Saïx.

“Not really going anywhere?” Axel didn’t look back, and kept his hood up.

“Don’t leave this world without a mission.”

“This place is suffocating. If I’m here I choke,” Axel said, as he started walking.

“…Can’t you hear the world’s scream?”

“Scream?” _What the heck does that mean? He’s kinda creeping me out right now._ Axel finally turned around and looked over his shoulder.

Saïx was standing on top of a flight of stairs. “The time for us to move should soon come.”

 _Is he talking about our plan...or something else I don’t know about? I can never tell with him._ _He...barely even sounds human sometimes. I need to get outta here for a while._ “I dunno, whatever.” Axel turned his back on Saïx, and opened a dark portal in front of him.

He thought about his intended destination. A place he was interested in—a place he actually liked. The town with the beautiful sunset, Twilight Town.

Axel stepped into the portal of darkness.

_“Man, I miss the old times. Still got it memorized? The day we met, when you got your new name, you and I sat right here, just like this, and watched the sunset.”_

* * *

Lately, whenever Axel had time to himself, he spent it lingering in Twilight Town. By himself, somewhere no one else went, idly eating a sea-salt ice cream somewhere he could see the sunset. It had been so relaxing. 

He was wandering toward Station Heights when Xemnas suddenly appeared right in front of him. He wasn’t supposed to be on a mission or anything, but there was nothing quite as awkward as bumping into your boss when you’re completely idle.

Xemnas had no scoldings for him, though. Just an order. “This is our newest member. Take him back to the castle and get him ready, then bring him to me.”

“Huh?”

But a dark portal was already swallowing Xemnas up. 

_Why don’t you bring him back yourself?_ Axel had wanted to say, but that wouldn’t have gone over well.

Rubbing the back of his head, Axel had watched the swirl of a dark portal dissipate. Beyond it, in the corridors, he could faintly make out Xemnas’s figure retreating. In a few seconds, he was gone, just like that.

“Bring back a kid. Sure. Easy for you to say…”  
  
Xemnas had left behind a boy in a white shirt. This kid had to be about ten years younger than himself, by Axel’s estimate. Not that age really mattered to Nobodies. Axel didn’t even know his name. He was probably a newborn, freshly arrived this very day, right here in Twilight Town.

Meanwhile, the boy didn’t move a muscle.

 _What am I? Some kinda babysitter? Why’d Xemnas pick me, anyway?_ Axel sighed. “Well, come on.”

He opened the Corridor of Darkness, but the kid was as still as a zombie.

“…Hello?” Axel had to close the portal back up for the time being and approach the boy himself.  
  
Finally, he moved, looking up at Axel.

“So what do they call you?” asked Axel.  
  
The boy only blinked, not enough to signal that he’d even heard.  
  
 _Sheesh. Looks like I got my hands full here._ “Let’s try that again. What’s your name?”

“…Ro…xas…” the boy croaked, as if he’d never spoken before.

Then Axel realized that Xemnas had named him only moments ago. It had been the same for him and his own name. He received it shortly after becoming a Nobody.

“Okay, Roxas. I’m Axel. Got it memorized?”

Roxas just stared at him blankly.

“Well, let’s get outta here.” Axel had his doubts about taking someone who had just come into being to that stark, cheerless castle, but he didn’t exactly have a lot of other options at the moment.

Just then Roxas shifted his gaze. It was the first hint of a reaction to anything around him.  
  
“Hmm? What is it?” Axel followed his line of sight to a cluster of local children.

Axel had seen the trio out and about countless times, always talking and laughing. Roxas looked about the same age as them, actually. Each one held an ice cream bar—sea-salt flavor, pale blue, and distinctly salty-sweet. Axel was rather fond of it himself. Or rather, he _remembered_ that he liked it.

“…Why don’t we get some ice cream first?” Axel started toward the shop in the town square. “Come on, Roxas! I’ll even give you an exclusive tour to a good hangout spot.”

But Roxas was still as a statue.

“Ugh, seriously…?” Axel went back and clapped him on the shoulder.

Roxas jumped and looked up at him.

“Come with me.” To his relief, when Axel started for the Sweets Shop in the center of the square, Roxas followed.

Axel dug some munny out of his pocket and bought himself and Roxas each an ice cream bar. Then he led Roxas to the clock tower.

* * *

“All right. You go ahead and sit down.”

Thankfully Roxas was at least able to understand basic instructions and sat down on the ledge.

Axel sat beside Roxas. “Here, this is for you. It’s called sea-salt ice cream. Got it memorized?”

Roxas stared at Axel a moment, but not long after, he took a bite out of his ice cream.

Axel stared at the ice cream in his own hand for a second.Reluctantly, he took a single bite. That one bite was all it took. The bitter taste instantly caused him to recoil. _Yup. Still too salty. I guess taste changes as you get older or something._

Roxas was now digging right in. 

_Well, he seems to be enjoying it._ Axel decided to ignore the taste and finish his own ice cream bar.“This is so freakin’ salty,” he mumbled under his breath.

“...But sweet, too.”

Axel was slightly startled. That was the first real response Roxas gave him. He smiled just a bit, then gazed out at the sunset. After a while, he looked over at Roxas again. He noticed that his silent companion was looking into the distance, seemingly unaware of his presence. He stared at the profile of his face, enveloped in the soft glow of the sunset.

_There’s...something familiar about this kid. I’m not sure why exactly. Maybe it’s just because I’m sitting up here, in this place which brings back so many memories._

The bittersweet ice cream flavor suited the bittersweet day. 

This was the first time Axel brought another person to his “special spot” in years. And it did suit the occasion. Roxas had just been born as a Nobody. And Axel hadn't been to this clock tower with someone else since, well...since the day _he_ first became a Nobody.

It was the day he and Saïx received _their_ new names. The last day they ever watched the sunset together. The beginning of the end.

* * *

Thirteen chairs circled the large white room, though most of them were empty.

Saïx sat still in his chair and vacantly stared down at the large cross-like symbol in the middle of the floor. From his low position, he didn't dare look up and make eye contact with Xemnas.

Axel sat with his arms folded. His chair was on the same level as Saïx's. He didn't look at Xemnas or the other members, either. Instead, his eyes were focused solely on Saïx.

Then, Xemnas finally spoke. “The witch Maleficent has taken over Hollow Bastion. The Heartless have now overrun the city of light. It belongs to the darkness now.”

 _My home world...it’s gone._ Axel tried to discern any reaction from Saïx.

He was still staring at the floor, showing no emotion.

“But we Nobodies belong not to the light nor the dark. We teeter on the edge of nothingness. This castle in the Realm Between will be our headquarters while we search for new members. We need thirteen in total to be the complete Organization XIII.”

Organization XIII. That was Axel’s first time hearing that name.  
  
Nobody but Xemnas said a word, and before long, the meeting was over. Everyone left the room using a dark corridor.

Axel sat on the bed of his new room, lost in thought. _Thirteen members. But why? What is he after? I don't understand._ His eyes drifted to the window. Nothing but the pitch black sky and the glowing neon lights could be seen. _Another freaky castle. This...is my new life. My new home. No. Nobodies have no homes. Nowhere they belong. We don’t even really exist._

He turned his head to see Xemnas standing right there in his doorway. How long had he been there? His sudden presence startled Axel. He felt his body tense up and didn't say a word. He stood up from his bed in reverence. _Why the heck is he just standing there? Was he watching me?_

Xemnas simply smiled at him.

_Ugh. What is it with him? Does he got something to say or what?_

As if he could read his mind, Xemnas responded, “I trust you.”

_What is that supposed to mean?_

“I am proud of your dedication and loyalty. You offered to join us of your own free will and accordingly, I granted you your new name. I consider you a valuable member of the organization. I have the utmost faith in your ability to fulfill your purpose. Number VIII, Axel.”

“My...purpose?”

“As we gain new members, I am trusting you to judge their worth. It will fall to you to eliminate any traitors.”

The organization had a pretty warped view of what it meant to be a traitor. You didn’t exactly have to be disloyal or anything. Failing to carry out orders was considered the same as disobeying them. To Xemnas, anyone who got in the way or didn’t serve a purpose was a traitor. And traitors were shown no mercy. Axel knew that all too well. He knew Xemnas wasn’t asking him to punish only those who rebelled against the organization. He was being asked to punish those whose only crime was being _useless_ to the organization.

_I know what you’re really saying. You’re playing mind games with me, trying to see how I‘lol react. Yeah, you sure “trust” me all right. You want me to keep Number VII in line or else. I’ll take that as a threat._

Axel stared at Xemnas's feet, still unable to make eye contact with him. “Yes, Lord Xemnas,” he said as he bowed.

“You are free to go where you wish after you fulfill your duties to the organization. But, I expect you to report back in before the end of the day.”

Axel nodded. _Yeah, whatever._ “Sir.”

Seemingly satisfied with that display of obedience, Xemnas turned and walked away.

Afterwards, Axel turned around and stared in the mirror. Some time passed, then he decided to head over to Saïx’s room.

* * *

Axel and Saïx sat on the ledge of Twilight Town's clock tower, once their favorite hangout.

Axel stared off into space, thinking about what Xemnas said to him earlier in his room. _So, what? I’m an assassin now?_ _I don't know why he gave me that job. He has no reason to trust me like that. He must be trying to trick me. Because I’m a kid, he must think I’ll be easy to manipulate. He's making a big mistake there._ _But whatever. It’s something I can use to my advantage._

“So. You brought me here to have ice cream?” Saïx asked in a dry tone.

“Well, more like to talk. Without you-know-who listening.”

Axel looked at the profile of Saïx's face. He noticed that he looked...well, not really down. Just...dispassionate. Of course, it was only natural after everything he’d been through.

 _Even as a Nobody, his ears and eyes still look just like Xigbar’s and Xemnas’s. It must have been because of how close he got to the darkness during the experiments. They must have wanted him to join because of the darkness inside of him. It’s...all my fault._ “Isa—er, I guess I should get in the habit of callin’ you Saïx now, or else I’ll get in trouble.”

Saïx’s gaze was fixated downward, still dispassionate. He didn’t respond to Axel.

“I’m sorry. I know you never wanted to join these guys.”

Saïx’s only response was a heavy sigh, just like when he was a human. He still didn’t look at Axel. “Well, since when have you ever listened to me?” His memories were back. He remembered everything. For better or worse, he remembered everything.

 _I know. All of this is my fault._ _But...I won’t let them win._ “Listen. We need a plan if we’re gonna survive here.”

“You say that like you actually have one,” Saïx responded, still with a flat expression.

Axel didn’t know how to respond. He knew he didn’t exactly have a plan when he begged Xemnas to join.

“Well, I do.” Saïx finally turned to look at Axel. “We destroy them from the inside.”

Axel was a bit taken aback by that statement. It wasn’t like Isa to talk like that. He was always rather soft-spoken. Of course, that was back when he had a heart.

Saïx still had no expression. _Xemnas. The man who called himself Ansem._ _Who is that man?_ “We need to get close to Xemnas. Once we learn more about who he is and what he’s after, we’ll have the upper hand.”

Axel looked him right in the eye. “All right then. From now on, I guess we’ll have to do whatever Xemnas tells us. If we don’t, we’ll be branded as traitors. And traitors are shown no mercy.”

Saïx was still staring at Axel. He didn’t have any visible emotion on his face.

Axel found it concerning. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to get your hands dirty _. I'll_ do all the icky jobs.” _I’ll do them for your sake. So you won’t have to. So you won’t fail and get branded a traitor. Even if I have to cloak myself in darkness, I’ll protect you._

Saïx didn’t say anything.

“You’re the special one. So you just focus on getting close to Xemnas. Make him think you’re his personal lapdog. Then, once we have the upper hand, we’ll figure out his weakness and take over.” _Isa was always more quiet and unassuming than me. I’m sure Xemnas thinks he has him wrapped around his little finger. I think it’ll be easier for the others to assume he’d be too afraid to ever backstab Xemnas. He’ll be able to rise to the top._

Saïx didn’t blink.

Axel stared at the large scar covering almost his entire face. It was the mark of a traitor. Because of it, the organization knew where he was at all times. There was nowhere to run or hide. “I promise you. I will never leave this organization until I find a way to get you out of here.” Axel put his hand on Saïx's shoulder, just as he did when they were human. “Trust me.”

Saïx did trust Axel. Completely. Axel never gave him a reason to doubt him. Perhaps he couldn’t feel it in his heart, but in his head, he knew Axel could be trusted. “I trust you.” That was the first sign of, well, not really emotion, but _something_ out of him.

It was a relief to Axel. “Well then, I guess that makes us both traitors. We’re off to a pretty good start, aren’t we?” He was now smirking.

While staring at Axel’s face, Saïx saw something he hadn’t noticed at first. “What are those marks on your face?”

“Oh. They’re...upside-down tears. A reminder to myself.” _I may not have a heart, but I still have the memories. I won’t forget._ _I’ll never forget._

“Of what?” Saïx asked nonchalantly while taking a bite out of his ice cream. 

“That I have no heart anymore,” he replied casually, as if he were discussing the weather. 

Saïx continued to stare at Axel. In the silence, the birds could be heard cawing in the distance.

“It’s a good thing, really,” Axel said flippantly.

“How so?” Saïx sounded slightly annoyed. He certainly didn’t think losing his heart was a good thing. He would give anything to have his heart back.

“It’s like those guys said. I have no heart to ‘deceive’ me anymore. Well, I’ve decided. I may as well embrace it.” Axel shrugged, staring off into the distance.

Saïx wasn’t sure what he meant.

“I won’t be able to doubt myself. I’ll be able to act without any hesitation or guilt.” His voice became lower. “I’ll destroy anyone in our way. And I won’t feel a thing. I know exactly what I want. No guilty conscience to deceive me.” The smile he wore was just a tad sinister. _That’s right. I’ll destroy anyone in our way. Anyone. And not a single tear will be shed. I’ll do anything to save my best friend. Without a heart, nothing stands between me and that goal. I’m prepared to do whatever Xemnas orders. Sure, I’ll eliminate the “traitors” for him._

 _Lea. He really can’t feel anything. And neither can I. Because I have no heart. Only...the memories of what it was like._ Saïx set his half-eaten ice cream down on the ledge in disgust. “It’s true. We don’t have hearts. Which is why I don’t think we should come here anymore.”  
  
Axel’s eyes narrowed upon hearing that. “Why?”

Saïx slowly stood up as Axel helplessly watched. The breeze was gently rustling his hair. “Without hearts, we’re just going through the motions. Play acting a friendship neither one of us can really feel. We should be focusing on our goal, not wasting time here pretending.”

Axel was at a loss. “Oh. Yeah...you’re probably right...”

Saïx gave him a sidelong glance. “You look like you need them.”

“Huh?”

“The marks under your eyes.” He said it with the cool detachment of one simply making an observation. “Well, they should keep you from crying, I’m sure.” Saïx had always been sarcastic, but there was a bit of callousness to his tone that Axel didn’t recognize.

“Yeah, well, we’re Nobodies. Nobodies can’t cry. Even if we wanted to.” 

“Good.”

Axel stared at Saïx. He wasn’t expecting him to say that.

“You said yourself, we have no hearts to deceive us. Keep that in mind and don’t be misled by your memories. We need to stay focused.”

Axel touched his face where the marks were. “Right...”

“We should be heading back. ‘Lord’ Xemnas is waiting,” Saïx said in such a cold tone it sent a shiver down Axel’s spine. And with those parting words, he disappeared.

Then Axel was left by himself. He looked at the ice cream Saïx left behind on ledge. It had melted.

_Is this what it means to have no heart? This crushing sense of emptiness I feel right now?_

All he could hear was the chiming of the bells. He looked out at sunset and just stared at it for a while before finally heading back to the castle.

* * *

Axel continued to absently munch on his ice cream. For some reason, it felt so relaxing to eat it, despite the saltiness. He looked over at Roxas, who had already finished his ice cream and was absently staring off into space. “We should probably be getting back. Don’t wanna keep the boss waiting too long.”

Roxas didn’t seem to hear Axel.

He sighed. “Come on. Time to go.” He gently clapped Roxas on the shoulder.

Roxas finally stood up, looking him in the eyes.

_Why? Why does he look so familiar?_

Axel tried to ignore the strange feeling he got from Roxas and opened a dark corridor. The two entered the portal and went back to headquarters.

Back at the castle, all the members were called to the Round Room for a meeting. They sat in their usual seats as Axel walked Roxas into the room. They stood in the center, standing on the Nobody symbol.

“Number XIII. Roxas. The Keyblade’s chosen,” Xemnas said looking down with a smile.

Axel was used to tuning out Xemnas, but today he was listening intently. He wanted to know whose Nobody Roxas was. After all, he seemed so...familiar. Still, he wasn’t sure if he heard Xemnas right. The Keyblade’s chosen one? Did that mean Roxas was a Nobody who could wield the Keyblade? But Axel had never heard of a wielder becoming a Heartless. Just who _was_ this kid exactly?


	2. Day 7: Meaning & Day 8: First Mission

It was the edge of the world. The Dark Margin. Jagged, crumbling rocks jutted up from a dark seashore. 

“You have arrived,” said Xemnas, seated on a rock by the beach.

The short hooded figure gave no reaction. His expression was not visible under the dark hood, but Xemnas knew that face all too well. 

“I’ve been to see him.” _Yes, in Hollow Bastion. I fought the hero and sampled his memories. All goes according to plan._ “He looks a lot like you.” _And you look a lot like him._

_You both are two sides of the same coin…  
_

_Light and shadow. Sora is the shadow that is cast upon you, Ventus. Now you exist in the darkness, like me._

“Who are you?” asked the hooded boy.

“I’m what’s left. An empty shell. Or maybe I’m all there ever was.”

An evasive reply.

“I meant your name.”

 _Xehanort? Ansem? Or is it...Terra?_ “My name is of no importance. What about you? Do you remember your true name?” Xemnas taunted.

“My true name…is…”

_It seems you don’t remember, do you, Ventus?_

“You have been with us for six days now.” Xemnas stood up and removed his hood. “The time has come...” He slowly walked over to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder, just like an old friend would.

_Your new name. Your purpose. The connection._

“Sora.”

* * *

Early the next morning, on the 7th day, it was just Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saïx seated in their usual chairs in the Round Room.

Xemnas began the meeting, which was kept a secret from everyone else. “A name defines an object. Describes the span of it. Gives it purpose. We embarked upon the Replica Program to ensure our new power stays ours. Now, our shadow puppet, ‘No. i,’ lives. It needs a name. Something to define it. To give the hollow vessel purpose.”

Xemnas waved his arm and the word “No. i” appeared in the air. The letters were shiny and silver. 

“No. i? Oh, right. Vexen’s little pet project. It stands for ‘imaginary number,’ if I’m not mistaken,” Xigbar said, pretty much to himself.

 _Imaginary? I see. He must be referring to the fact that it’s just a puppet. It isn’t truly one of us,_ Saïx thought.

Xemnas waved his arm again and the letters swirled around, gaining momentum until they were barely visible. He slammed his fist into them and four points of golden light shot out. A new golden letter “X” was now hovering. The silver letters rejoined with the “X” at the beginning, forming a new word, which was fully golden.

Xion.

“The time has come for out newest member, Xion, to join us and fulfill its purpose.”

“All these new Keyblade wielders,” Xigbar added with his usual smirk.

“Saïx.”

He immediately looked up when Xemnas said his name.

“I would like you to go to Castle Oblivion and bring it here to me.”

“Sir.” And with that order, Saïx nodded obediently and vanished.

* * *

Saïx used a dark corridor to travel alone to Castle Oblivion. When he finally arrived in the lobby, he saw Xion. He looked down at the shadow puppet. It was no longer just a faceless white mannequin.

Saïx had only seen Sora’s photo in the files on his computer, but he knew what he looked like. The shadow puppet looked just like him, only completely black with yellow eyes and a permanent smile fixed on its face. It was clearly not human. It was nothing more than a tool. An object. 

_So, this is it. The Replica of the hero created using the memories Xemnas extracted from him in Hollow Bastion._

Saïx then took Xion by the hand and began to lead it out of Castle Oblivion. As soon as he touched the Replica, the room suddenly transformed into something entirely different.

_I thought you needed a card to transform the rooms here._

The room’s new appearance was all too familiar to Saïx. It was similar to the other rooms in Castle Oblivion, with its white marble walls. But it was actually a room from the castle in Hollow Bastion. There was no mistaking it. It was the Chamber of Repose.

While staring at the new scenery, an unpleasant memory came back to Saïx. It was his first memory after being...broken. It only returned to him after he became a Nobody.

* * *

Deep in the bowels of Ansem’s castle, a man with an eyepatch approached a pitch dark prison cell. He nonchalantly entered the code on the electronic lock and opened the cell door.

“Good news, kiddo. This will be the last you see of these walls.”

Braig led Isa to an unusual room located right down the hall. It was now a graveyard for a young woman. And soon to be Isa’s as well. He now had the Sigil of the Recusant carved directly onto his face. Deep inside Xehanort’s sleeping memories, he knew it was a letter signifying death and endings.

Braig sat Isa down on the floor the at edge of the room, near the wall. A mysterious suit of armor and Keyblade were lying right next to him.

Xehanort looked over at the pieces of Aqua’s armor and slowly muttered in a low voice, “These are but empty shells of the life they were once possessed. Like you are—empty and void of life.”

Isa simply stared at the floor vacantly.

“Now. Renounce yourself and claim your new identity. You are now...one of us. As your flesh bears the sigil, so shall your name be known as that...of a recusant,” Xehanort said in a low voice.

X. It must have had something to do with the ancient Keyblade War. But Braig had to wonder...did _this_ Xehanort know that?

Xehanort calmly continued, “A name defines an object. Describes the span of it. Defines it. Gives the hollow vessel purpose.”

Braig looked down at Isa, smirking. “Rather fitting, wouldn’t ya say? It’s the mark of heresy—the mark of a traitor. Or in your case, more like the mark of a _failure_.” 

A smile also formed on Xehanort’s face while he stared at the sigil on Isa’s forehead.

Braig continued to snicker. “Well, he won’t be forgetting what a failure he is if it’s branded smack dab in the middle of his face, huh? Should motivate him, though. Maybe now he won’t be so useless.”

Xehanort helped Isa to his feet and looked him in the eyes. “Recusant. Your existence has but one purpose. You are to become stronger.”

Isa nodded slowly.

* * *

 _This...thing. It has such a powerful effect on memories through such limited physical contact._ _It wouldn’t be wise to lead it back by the hand. Hopefully it will able to follow verbal orders.  
_

“Hurry up,” Saïx snapped. 

Xion silently followed.

“This is the last you’ll see of these walls… Xion.”

Then they made their way back to the Castle that Never Was.

Back in the Round Room, Xigbar and Xemnas were still in their chairs.

Xemnas looked at Xion. He rested his head on his palm and smiled softly. “Good. Now, Saïx. Go retrieve the others and bring them back here.”

“Sir.”

Saïx complied immediately and arrived in the lobby.

Axel was already there with Roxas. “Oh yeah, they said we have to meet at the Round Room today… what a pain in the ass… Gotta say, I’m not a fan of these stupid meetings,” he remarked, grinning. “We just had one last week. Besides, the chairs are so hard and they’re so boring—”

“Get moving,” Saïx interrupted from the middle of the lobby. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Axel groaned. “Okay, Roxas. You can take care of your dark corridor, right?”

Roxas stood there blinking.

“Don’t be late,” Saïx warned him, disappearing into the corridors himself.

Back in the Round Room, a voice boomed out. Xemnas had now begun his speech. “Good tidings, friends. Today is a momentous day. A new comrade has been chosen to wear the cloak.”

The newcomer arrived in the room.

“Number fourteen joins us. Let us welcome one of the Keyblade’s chosen.”

The meeting didn’t last long. Just long enough to introduce the newest member. Xion didn’t even speak.

* * *

After everyone was dismissed, another meeting commenced. Portals from the corridors rippled and opened atop the chairs of the Round Room, like candles lighting in negative, and a few members of the Organization appeared in their black cloaks. Numbers 1 through 7 took their seats—Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, and Saïx.

“Why are we allowing a novice to attend?” Vexen complained. He didn’t see why someone of such low status was able to get such preferential treatment from Xemnas. He was never even an apprentice.

The aforementioned “novice”—Saïx, the lowest ranked of those present—didn’t even glance up from the dais. He was used to being treated with such disregard.

“Did you manage to get the Key?” asked Xigbar.

“The Key? What, that fragment?” Vexen scoffed. “I wouldn’t need the witch’s power for a mere splinter.”

“Do we not need more of those splinters?” Zexion said.

“That will depend on what the wielder chooses to do,” Vexen replied smoothly.

“And are our wielders under adequate surveillance?” Lexaeus rumbled.

This time, Saïx answered. “Marluxia has orders to take care of it. Without fail.”

“It’s highly unusual for a Keyblade wielder to leave a Nobody in the first place,” said Xaldin. Seeing the glances converged on him, he voiced his doubts. “Doesn’t the very existence of his Nobody render our entire plan meaningless?”

“Still need insurance, though,” Xigbar remarked.

“The plan is already in motion,” Xemnas said, promptly ending any further discussion.

The other six looked up toward him.

“To keep this new power firmly in our grasp, we will proceed.”

That settled the matter, and the others each nodded their assent.

* * *

It was the 8th day.

Axel got up at the usual time and headed to the Grey Room. 

Saïx was already there, as usual. He was alone. “Axel. Today you are working with Roxas again.”

“Why me? You know I like to conduct my missions solo. Feels like you’re making me his personal babysitter or something.”  
  
“There’s no one else I can rely on for this.”

Axel thought about the other members. Saïx had a point. None of them would have been suitable to look after Roxas, except for maybe Demyx. But he was too irresponsible.

“There’s nothing for you to be concerned about,” Saïx said. “Roxas is invaluable to Xemnas.”

“Because he can wield the Keyblade, right? I guess he _is_ pretty important.” _Xemnas will never want him eliminated. That’s good. I mean, he_ is _just a kid and all._

Axel always kept his distance from newer members. They never stuck around very long. But Roxas was no doubt an exception. He was safe, due to his special ability. He’d probably be around for a long time. Probably until Kingdom Hearts was finished and they could finally claim hearts of their own.

“Oh, all right. I guess I can look after him again.”

* * *

Axel and Roxas went off together and the mission ended without a hitch. Roxas was finally getting the hang of things and opened the chest. 

“Bravo,” said Axel, who was clapping. “So whaddaya think? Got the hang of this mission stuff yet?”

“…Uh-huh.” Roxas mumbled something else at the ground.

“What was that? Couldn’t hear you.”

He raised his head. “I said…”

“Well?”

“I could’ve done that blindfolded,” Roxas said with a shy grin.

_That reaction was completely different from anything else until now._

A smile spread across Axel’s face, too, and it brought with it a strange sensation. The feeling of something unexpected and fun happening out of nowhere. It felt so...familiar. But he had never felt that way before. Or at least he couldn’t _remember_ feeling that way before. He felt the sudden urge to treat Roxas to some ice cream, though.

“Don’t get too full of yourself there. But you did good. Okay, since you worked really hard today, you get a reward.” Axel started walking.

“Don’t we have to…return to the castle? RTC?”

“Later. You remember our hangout spot?” Axel didn’t have to look to know that Roxas was right behind him, but he did anyways.

And that was when it hit Axel.

_I...I have seen this kid before! I remember now! He was that weird kid I met that day. Yeah... that time me and Isa tried to sneak inside the castle._

Axel turned his back to Roxas and continued walking towards the Sweets Shop. The entire time, he was remembering the day he met that strange boy. It was incredibly hazy, but things slowly started coming back to him.

* * *

Lea and Isa were on their way to the castle. Lea had finally convinced Isa to sneak inside with him, and today was finally the day. They were on a mission.

They had just arrived in the central Square when Lea noticed a lonely-looking boy sitting by himself. He had dropped something.

“This yours?” Lea asked. 

_Come on, Lea._ _You keep bothering me all day about sneaking inside and now you get distracted? There isn’t much time before the guards come back._ “Lea, we don’t have time for this,” Isa scolded.

 _Sheesh. You really are no fun sometimes._ _You gotta learn how to act your age._ “Lighten up, Isa, it’ll only take a sec,” said Lea as he handed the practice blade to the kid.

 _He looks like he wants me to go away. He probably had a fight with his friends or something. Well, after hanging out with Isa for so long, I’m used to dealing with bad moods. I’m sure he just needs some attention. A few minutes is all it takes. Then I’ll give him some space_.

“You still play with toy swords? That’s cute.”  
  
The kid looked aggravated.

“Now this right here—Ta-daa! Whaddaya think?” Lea took out a pair of round toylike discs emblazoned with a strange-looking face and twirled them around. _These are my favorite toy frisbees. They’re awesome, right!?_

“Not a whole lot.”

_He's still closed off. Gotta try a little harder._

“You’re just jealous. I’m Lea. Got it memorized? What’s your name?”

“…Ventus.” 

“Okay, Ventus. Let’s fight!”

“Fight? Why would I wanna do that?”

Ventus didn’t see the point. But with Isa watching, Lea was in the mood to show off a little.

“You scared of losing? C’mon. Hope you’re ready.”

Lea’s enthusiasm was apparently contagious. Ventus got up and readied his weapon.

“Yeah! Now we’re talkin’!”

“You’re gonna be sorry!” Ventus shouted.

Lea leaped gracefully into the air. Ventus launched himself upward at nearly the same time, and the two met in battle.

Off to the side, Isa observed them in exasperation. But seeing Lea bring the sullen boy out of his shell in less than a minute—he couldn’t help but smile. _Yeah, that’s Lea, all right. He just has that effect on people. He brightens everything up instantly._

“Not bad, Ventus!” Lea said with a smile. _He’s a surprisingly good fighter._

When Lea hurled his disc and Ventus knocked it away, Lea suddenly plopped down on his rear.

“You…had enough? ‘Cause I’m willing to…call it a draw if you are.”

“From where I stood, the only thing you drew was a big L on your forehead for ‘Loser,’ ‘Lame,’ ‘Laughable’…What did you expect?” Isa said with a roll of his eyes.

“Wha—? Isn’t this the part where ya cheer me up or somethin’? ‘You’re just havin’ a bad day,’ or…‘That’s what you get for pullin’ your punches!’ Some friend,” Lea whined, turning toward him.

“Oh, you mean I was supposed to lie,” Isa retorted.

“Ya see what I gotta put up with?” Lea rolled around on the ground. “Sure hope you don’t have friends like him.”

When Ventus started chuckling, it wasn’t long before Lea and Isa followed his lead.

Isa spoke up when the laughter died down. “Lea, we have to go.”

“‘Kay.” Lea stood up.

“Already?” Ventus asked, looking a little lonely.

Lea turned around. “I’ll see ya when I see ya. After all, we’re friends now. Get it memorized.” _That’s right. We’re friends. I’m sure we‘lol see each other again._

“Okay, Lea.” Ventus nodded with a smile. 

* * *

Axel and Roxas found themselves at the hangout spot, the clock tower above the Twilight Town train station—specifically, the top of it. From here, they could see the whole town.

As Axel perched in front of the clockface, he noticed Roxas was still standing. “You sit down, too. Take a load off.”

Roxas did.

“Here you go. Your reward. The icing on the cake.” Axel handed him a sea-salt ice cream bar.

Roxas stared at it.

“You remember what this flavor is called?” Axel prompted.

“Um…”

“Sea-salt ice cream. I told you before. You gotta get things memorized.” Axel took a bite out of his.

Following his lead, Roxas did the same. “It’s really salty…but sweet, too,” he murmured.

Axel laughed. “You said exactly the same thing the other day.”

“I did? I don’t really remember…” Roxas gazed into the glow of the sunset. A breeze ruffled his hair.

 _Roxas...he’s really that kid Ventus’s Nobody, isn’t he? That’s why he seemed so familiar. So, Ventus could wield a Keyblade? And then he became a Nobody? Just who_ was _that kid? I never did see him again after that day. But...why hasn’t he aged? This doesn’t make any sense._

Axel couldn’t wrap his mind around it. But here was this kid...a total blast from his past, unchanged from a decade ago. He did his best to hide what he was thinking from Roxas. “So, what has it been, a week since you showed up?” 

Roxas still stared straight ahead. “Oh. Maybe…”

“Maybe? Come on, you must know that much.”

The boy lowered his eyes sheepishly.

“Well, don’t worry. Today’s when it really begins anyway.”

“What does…?” Roxas looked puzzled.

“Everything.” _We finally have thirteen members. Fourteen, actually._ “Here you are, out in the field, working for the Organization! From now on, you’re one of us.” 

“Where it all begins…?” Roxas contemplated his ice cream bar.

 _Yeah. This is where it all begins for you. Just like that castle was where it all began for me. It all began on the day we met, Ventus_. “You know, you missed a lot back when you were a zombie. So, from now on, you got a lot of memorizing to do.”

Roxas stared off into space licking his lips. He took what Axel said seriously. He wanted to treasure his memories. He didn’t want to forget a single one. He wanted to make up for everything he had forgotten. So, from now one, he was going to remember each and every day.

“That stuff melts if you don’t eat it, y’know.”

“…Right.” Roxas took another bite. The clock tower’s bell chimed, and a train sped away in the distance. This was Twilight Town, a place always between light and dark, and for now, this little hideaway within it was still special only to Axel.

* * *

When Roxas and Axel finally RTC’d, Luxord, Demyx, and Larxene were already there in the lobby. They were sitting at the table.

Lurxord was the first to acknowledge Axel. “You’re back early.”

“Well, it was a really easy mission. I was just showing Roxas the ropes today.”

“You mean babysitting. Ugh. Well, better you than me. I _hate_ kids.” Larxene smirked. “You seem to be good with them, though, Axel. What, were you a nanny before you lost your heart?”

Axel shrugged at the jab, but was a bit embarrassed. “I was good with kids. And animals.” _Not a lie._  
  
“Wow, what a catch you must be.” Larxene looked over at Roxas who was just standing there watching. “What are _you_ looking at?”

“Uhh...nothing.”

“You look awfully happy today, Roxas. Not as glum as usual,” Demyx said.

“Oh, do I?” Roxas figured it was because he was starting to remember things now. It was a special day. “Today, I’m a real member of the organization! Like you guys!”

Larxene tried to stifle her laughter. “Like _that’s_ something to get excited over.”

“Ah, the innocence of youth.” Luxord tried to change the subject. “So, anyone up for a game? Axel?”

Axel hesitated. “Hmm. Sure, why not?” _This mission ended early._ _I hate having too much free time. I think too much._

“How about you, Roxas? Care for some poker? Or euchre, maybe?” Luxord joked while shuffling his deck. “Prepared to risk all your munny?”

“All my munny!? Well...”

“Don’t tease him, Luxord. That brat doesn’t even have any munny.” Larxene shot him a cold glance.  
  
“Roxas shouldn’t be gambling anyway,” Axel added. 

Roxas wasn’t even sure what gambling was. “Oh, hey. Has Xion been around?” Roxas asked. He wasn’t sure why he wanted to know. He was just curious after seeing them yesterday. He wanted to know what they were like.

“The hooded one that joined yesterday? Hm. No, I don’t believe I’ve seen them. Come to think of it, you both are about the same age, aren’t you?”

“I guess so.”

Larxene was getting aggravated. “Go away already! Can’t you see the adults are busy!? Go find the other kid and play!”

To ease the tension, Axel waved casually. “I’ll see you later, Roxas.”

Roxas figured he may as well head back to his room.

Luxord watched Roxas walk away. Once he was out of earshot, he said, “Ah. You know, I find myself envying the children.”

Larxene raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Seeing Roxas and how brimming with life he is, unlike all of us—wielding the Keyblade for the organization, unconcerned with what the future holds. Why, it’s almost like he has a heart.”

Larxene rolled her eyes. “Please. Just because he’s naïve doesn’t mean that dumb kid has a heart. Though it’d probably be more fun if he did...”

“True. But there’s just...something about him.” Luxord stroked his chin. “Perhaps some fundamental difference exists between those who become Nobodies as adults and otherwise. The longer you have lived, the more you are positioned to lose. But a child can look forward, unafraid even in the face of immeasurable odds. I doubt they even see life as a gamble the way we do. In other words, he doesn’t even realize what it is that he is missing. Perhaps that explains the unusual sparkle in young Roxas’s eye.”

Axel had to give some thought to what Luxord said. _Now that I think on it, I doubt any of them have been Nobodies nearly as long as I have. They wouldn’t know it, but we Nobodies do age. Physically, anyways._

_We have a pretty fresh batch of newcomers. I usually keep my interactions with them to a minimum, but sometimes I get bored. None of these new guys know what my job is. If they did, I doubt they’d trust me enough to play cards. Newcomers tend to stay far away from me once they learn of my reputation. I’m fine with that. But I’ll enjoy this casual company while it lasts._

_Until I have to eliminate someone. Which usually doesn’t take too long._

Larxene looked over at Demyx. “Well, I’m sure _that_ idiot doesn’t see life as a gamble.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” he protested.

“Nothing. Just that you’re certainly no adult.”

“Sure I am! I’m probably not much younger than you, ya know! I graduated high school! Sure, I had to serve my fair share of detentions for sleeping in class, but still. Got me my diploma!”

Axel glanced up at Demyx. _Number IX. He’s pretty much fresh outta high school. We’ve had more than a few IX's before him, but...none of them made the grade. They’ve been...eliminated already._

“And _how_ many grades did you have to repeat?”

“Excuse me!? I’m not dumb! I just preferred art over academics!”

“With all due respect,” Luxord interrupted, “both of you are beginning to sound like children to me.”

_Number X, Luxord. If Nobodies could actually like or dislike people, I guess I would say that I like him. Of course, liking someone or not doesn’t matter to me. I don’t get attached. Because...of my job. It never fails to happen eventually. I always have to—_

“Axel, would you hurry the hell up!? It’s your turn! Pay attention!” Larxene shouted.

“My bad.”

_Larxene. Number XII. Not the most likable woman. Way too easy to hit the wrong button. Joined recently with Number XI. Due to how often they complain of boredom, doesn’t seem like they’ve been Nobodies that long, either. Wonder how long they’ll be around._

_No_ _newcomers ever last that long. They either rebel or Xemnas doesn’t consider them worthy. The only ones who’ve remained constant have been me, Saïx, and the original members who were Ansem the Wise’s apprentices. Of course, none of these new guys know that. They probably think me and Saïx are just like them._

Luxord placed a card down.

_Maybe Luxord’s right. Maybe those who become Nobodies as kids are really different somehow. Back when I was a kid, life wasn’t a gamble to me. I wasn’t afraid of anything that might happen. I didn’t think I had anything to lose. But I did._

Axel drew another card. Eight of hearts. The same as his number in the organization. He stared at the little heart symbol for a while.

Larxene set her card down. “Well, looks like I won.”

“Just my luck. Drew exactly the card I needed, too.” Axel tossed his card down on the table.

“Ah, the eight of hearts,” said Luxord. “It is related to success in love. A positive sign for a fulfilling long-term relationship with the person you love. Your union will be happy and free of domestic sorrows and misfortunes.”  
  
“Well, well. Lucky you, Axel.” Larxene eyed him seductively. “If only you had a heart,” she taunted.  
  
Axel stood up from his seat. “Well, that’s my cue. It’s about time for me to go. I’m beat. Gotta get some rest.” He left the lobby and went to bed.


	3. Day 14: This Kid? & Day 22: Left Behind

It was the 14th day.

In the lobby of the Grey Area, Marluxia noticed Axel and called out to him. “I heard you will be joining us at Castle Oblivion.”

Axel paused and turned around. “News sure does travel fast…”

“We don’t have the same assignment, though. You’ll be dealing with the Keyblade wielder.”

“You certainly are well informed.”

“Everyone who’s being shipped off knows that, at least.”

Axel shrugged.

“Doesn’t the master of the Keyblade intrigue you at all?”

 _Guess he’s talking about Sora_. “Not really.” That much was true. There was no reason for Axel to concern himself with the matter.

“You expressed some interest in Roxas, though, didn’t you?”

“Sure. But I mean, I can’t really help that. I’m kinda in charge of him.” Axel turned his back on Marluxia but didn’t get far before another bit of news stopped him in his tracks.

“And if I told you that Roxas is that Keyblade master’s own Nobody? Would that pique your interest?”

Axel whirled around, his eyes narrowing as he fixed Marluxia with a stare. He didn’t seem to be lying.

“You are so transparent.” Marluxia chuckled. “It’s like you’re still human.”

“Is that a compliment?”

A beguiling smile played at Marluxia’s lips. “If acting as one with a heart is praiseworthy, then it just might be.”

“And?” said Axel. “That’s not all you wanted to say, is it?”

Marluxia looked squarely back at him. Then he left.

_What was that about?_

“Axel. You’re with Roxas again,” said Saïx.

“Another mission with Roxas today, huh? Is he seriously my responsibility?”

A little while later, Roxas arrived in the Grey Area, too.

“Hey, Roxas. It’s you and me again today.”

“Okay.”  
  
“Well, you know the drill. I don’t know what they’ve cooked up for us, but let’s get it done with style, huh?”

“Right,” Roxas said, nodding.

* * *

Roxas and Axel entered their dark corridors and were back in Twilight Town, just like last time.

“Our second mission together.”

“Yup.”

Axel sighed. “Sheesh, don’t talk my ear off. ...You ready or what?”

“What? Oh...oh, yeah.”

Today’s mission was to yet again collect hearts. Which meant eliminating Heartless.

“Let’s go,” said Axel.

Roxas took off ahead of him.

_I figured he’d have several assignments under his belt by now, but this is his first true mission— according to Saïx anyway._

Axel had thought Roxas was swift his first day on the job, but he was especially nimble now. As his backup, Axel tossed his chakrams at the Heartless, even though Roxas was the only one who could capture hearts by defeating them.

Anyone assigned to go with Roxas on a heart-collecting day was, by definition, just there for support. Not that Roxas seemed to need it much. He charged ahead, Keyblade swinging, without so much as a glance back at Axel. It was quite something to see him in action.

_He really does look just like that Ventus kid. He’s got the same fighting skills, too. No wonder I lost back then. No way I woulda been able to beat a Keyblade wielder._

As Axel watched Roxas take on the Heartless, he was reminded once again of Ventus and began to remember his childhood.

* * *

Dilan, the imposing guard, picked up the pair of suspicious young intruders and ejected them from the gate.

“Ow! What the heck? Cut it out!” shouted Lea.

“You should be grateful I only tossed you out,” Dilan stated, at which Aeleus nodded silently behind him.

 _Sheesh, what’s that mean? He’s acting like he was gonna lock us up or something. Heh. Yeah, right._ Lea rolled his eyes.

“—Let’s go, Lea,” Isa, said quietly. He stood up and brushed the dust from his pants.

“What is with those guys? Such jerks.”

“I don’t want any more trouble,” Isa urged.

Lea also climbed to his feet, albeit with some resignation. He looked back at the castle one more time.

“There’ll always be another chance,” Isa reminded him softly as they walked away.

Lea followed after. “We were so close,” he complained as they reached the residential area. Then, to take his mind off of their failure, he changed the subject. “Well, that’s that I guess. Got got any other plans for the day?”

“I was just gonna go home and finish up the summer homework. You should probably do that, too. You wanted to work on it together, right? Knowing you, you probably haven't even started y—”

But before Isa could finish his lecture, Lea interrupted. “Oh, give me a break, Isa! I didn’t mean homework. You need to learn how to have fun.”

Isa shrugged.

“It’s no fun just going between the castle and home. The real fun is taking detours.”

“Detours? Like what? I don’t have any munny.”

As the boys walked toward the Marketplace, they spotted something. Beside the small shop run by the Moogles, an unusual-looking elderly gent, Scrooge, was touting his wares with some blue ice cream in hand. “Come one, come all, and have yourself a taste! Ice cream, ice cream, sweet, salty, and strange!”

“What’s that?” Lea ran up to check it out.

“Hullo, there, laddie. How about an ice cream?”

“I’m…guessing they aren’t free?” Lea asked, jamming a hand into his pocket.

Scrooge hopped up and yelled, “Of course not! Are ye daft?!”

For a little bit, Lea was deep in thought. _Hm. I suppose ice cream isn’t too expensive._ “Okay, I’ll take one…no, two!”

“Thank ye kindly!” Lea handed over some munny and took the two bars from Scrooge, one of which he gave to Isa.

“It’s cold…” Isa mumbled as he took a bite.

“What’re you talking about? It’s ice cream; of course it’s cold. Got it memorized?”

“...Salty, too.”

“But sweet!” Lea added, and Isa smiled a bit. _It’s kinda rare to see Isa to smile._

“We’ll get another shot at it,” Isa said, gazing at the castle they had failed to infiltrate.

“Yeah.” Lea grinned and looked up at it, too. “Man, those guards are mean. They didn’t have to _throw_ us. Seriously. My ass hurts now.”  
  
“Heh.” Isa laughed softly.

“Hey, don't laugh at me.” Truth be told, Lea made that remark specifically so that the quiet Isa would laugh. It was something he did often. “Sorry. I know this wasn’t the exciting day it was supposed to be.”

“I don’t mind.”

That was a bit surprising. Isa had said before that it was probably a bad idea and they were gonna get in huge trouble. “Really?”

He took another bite. “Mm-hmm. Don’t worry about it. We can try again tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Lea looked up at the sky. “Well, the sun’s starting to set. We probably better head home now and work on that stupid homework.” Lea threw his stick away and was preparing to walk home.

“Hey, Lea.”

He turned and looked at Isa. “Hm?”

“I had fun today. Let’s get some ice cream again tomorrow, too.”

Lea smiled widely. It was often a challenge to get Isa to have fun, but apparently he’d succeeded in an unexpected way today. “See? What did I tell ya about taking detours? All right. I guess we can make this a routine.”

Isa had a serene smile. “Okay.” 

The two boys began to walk home.

_I guess Isa’s right. Eating ice cream together, talking about silly stuff, laughing together. I still had fun today even though we didn’t really do anything exciting. Just hanging out with friends is fun. Speaking of which, I wonder what he's up to....that guy, Ventus or whatever. Maybe we can all have some ice cream together some time._

* * *

Roxas’s movements were pretty impressive. Finally, with barely a scratch after accumulating a decent number of hearts, he turned to Axel. “That does it for today, right?”

“…Right,” said Axel.

Its work done, the Keyblade winked out from Roxas’s hand. Sweat beaded on his face as he caught his breath. “We finished up pretty quickly, huh?”

“So got any plans?” Axel asked casually.  
  
“Plans…? I mean, I was just going to report to Saïx and go to my room, like always.”

Well, that was the proper answer, but it wasn’t the _right_ answer. Axel rubbed the back of his head and looked down at him. “Look, Roxas—”  
  
That same trio of noisy Twilight Town kids cut him off, literally, darting between them during their conversation.

“Move it, Pence!”

“Hey, wait up!”

“Last one there has to buy the winner an ice cream!”

 _S_ _eems like Roxas and those kids are destined to run into each other or something_ , Axel thought.

“Who were they…?” Roxas looked curiously after them.

 _He saw them before, the first time he came here with me. But his memory is probably a little hazy._ “Just some kids who live here, I guess,” Axel replied.

“Hmm…” Roxas squinted at them.

_That’s not a reaction I would have expected._

“Does everyone here act like that?”

The question didn’t make much sense to Axel. “Act like what?”  
  
“Like, running around chasing one another, yelling… They were even making those ‘ha ha’ noises.” Roxas had a strange expression as he said that, one Axel hadn’t seen before. Maybe something in him could recall time spent running and shouting with friends, having fun.  
  
“You mean laughter? That’s the kind of stuff people with hearts do, I guess,” Axel said.

“Oh… I guess they’re different from us.” Roxas looked at his feet.

Axel scratched his head, sensing some kind of pain-in-the-ass atmosphere in the silence. He remembered the day they met. He, Isa, and Ventus all laughed together. He scratched his head and tentatively suggested, “We could get some ice cream, too.”

“Why?”  
  
“Why…? Well, because…”

He wasn’t sure what to say. He just wanted to get ice cream and hang out in his favorite spot with someone else, like they had done the other day, but he got the sense he needed to put it a different way. If he didn’t, Roxas probably wouldn’t understand.

He took a deep breath and said, “Because we’re friends.” _Saying it out loud is really freaking embarrassing. Still, words only mean something if you give them voice. And I can’t come up with a better answer anyway._

“Friends…?”

“Yeah. Friends. People who eat ice cream together or laugh at stupid stuff that doesn’t make sense… Like those kids we just saw.”

Roxas blinked up at him.

“C’mon, I’ll show you how it works.”

Roxas was still bewildered.

Axel headed for the Sweets Shop. It was as if he were fleeing from Roxas’s gaze.

Eventually, they made their way back to the clock tower again.

Down in the plaza in front of the clock tower, those kids were arguing. Roxas watched them with undisguised curiosity as he ate his ice cream.

_His sense of self has developed quite a bit since we first met. And since our first mission together, too. And yet, there’s something empty and cold about it. That’s true for all Nobodies, though, I guess.  
_

_At least he’s starting to talk like a normal person. Maybe that means his memory’s coming back. Still, this kid’s supposed to be the Keyblade master’s Nobody? I don’t see it. He’s identical to that Ventus kid. I wonder if he’ll eventually remember anything about his past._

“Hey, Roxas.”

Roxas looked up.

 _Wait, what was I gonna say again?_ “Let’s meet up for ice cream again after your next mission. I mean, who wants to just bounce back and forth between work and the castle, right?” _Even I’m surprised at those words._ _Just like the things I said before, it just popped out of my mouth automatically._

Roxas gazed down at the kids in the plaza again. “Ha ha, not me! Hey, I laughed... I guess we really are friends.”

Axel thought he saw the hint of a smile. But he wasn’t quite sure.

_I haven’t called anyone a friend since I’ve been a human. Nobodies can’t really be friends. I know that. But...even if you don’t remember, we really were friends in the past. Weren’t we, Ventus?_

* * *

It was the 22nd day.

Axel was asked to accompany Roxas on yet another mission. This time they were to defeat a Guardian, a machine-looking Heartless. Axel wasn’t so annoyed about looking after Roxas today. He was actually kinda looking forward to it. Or more specifically, the ice cream routine that came afterwards.

When they wrapped things up, they went to the clock tower as they had done before.

“I’m gonna miss this ice cream thing we do.”  
  
“What…?” Roxas looked at him, wide-eyed.

“Starting tomorrow, I’m gonna be at Castle Oblivion for a while.”

“Where’s that…?”

“The only place you’ve been to is Twilight Town, right? But there are lots of other worlds out there. And the Organization has another castle, in another world between worlds. That’s Castle Oblivion. Got it memorized?”

“I wish people would tell me this stuff…” Roxas hung his head. “When will you come back?”

“I dunno… When they let me, I guess. But when I do, we’ll grab ice cream again.”

“…Yeah.” Roxas’s eyes followed the train in the distance.

“Well, I gotta go back and get ready,” said Axel. “Lots of fun stuff to take care of.”

“Oh, then I’ll—”

“Nah, you stay and take your time. It was my treat. Enjoy that ice cream. See you.” Axel got to his feet and vanished into a dark portal right there on the clock tower.

* * *

He returned to his room to finish packing his things. After a while, he heard someone walk in. Just the person he was expecting.

Saïx walked over to Axel and lowered his voice somewhat. “Xemnas has finally returned.”

“From his usual spot, right?”

“The Chamber of Repose.”

Just the mention of that name brought back memories for Axel. Bad ones.

“We need to discuss your secret mission.”

“Finding the Chamber of Waking, right?”

He began slowly pacing back and forth. “That room is connected to the Chamber of Repose. Xemnas visits there often. He speaks with someone there, though he is by himself. There’s something he isn’t telling us. I am certain that room holds all the answers regarding his true agenda.”

Sitting on his bed, Axel was staring down at the floor. “Yeah, he’s definitely hiding something, all right. The only one who knows is probably Xigbar.”

“It appears that Xemnas has been telling Zexion more lately.”  
  
Axel looked up. “Zexion?”

“Xemnas appears to trust him.”

Axel rolled his eyes a bit. “Yeah, because he’s got him wrapped around his little finger. He’s the perfect servant boy. He’d never tell.”

“If Xemnas chooses to divulge his secrets to him, he is in the way of our goal.”

Axel paused for a moment. _Knowing him for so long, I know that’s a hint at what he wants me to take care of._ “Well, I’ll see what I can do.”

“You leave early in the morning. Make sure you get some rest.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

As soon as Axel acknowledged him, Saïx spun on his heels and left.

_I guess I won’t be seeing him for a while._

Afterwards, Axel decided to go to bed early.

_I hope Roxas will be okay on his own. He’s pretty capable now, at least. Shouldn’t have any problems on his missions. Still, I’d hate to be left all alone in a den of wolves like this._

_‘Course, I’m gonna be all on my own, too. Apparently, the founding members will be conducting research in the basement while I’m supposed to help Marluxia and Larxene with the Keyblade hero._

Lying in bed, he rolled over multiple times, but had a hard time falling asleep.

_I’m not really looking forward to another trip to Castle Oblivion. Just being there always gives me the creeps. I know the organization uses it to conduct experiments. It reminds me of...that basement._

* * *

Lea and Isa sat in a dark dungeon cell located in the lower portion of the castle. There was nothing there but a table with a single candle on it. It was cold and the faint sound of screaming could be heard at times, making it hard to sleep. They had been locked up for a few days.

One night, Braig and Dilan arrived at the cell.

Braig said in his usual taunting manner, “Now, now. What to do? You both are in the way. We can’t just let you go. Not after what you've seen.” He was referring to the little girl Lea and Isa had tried to rescue. “But...you don’t really serve any purpose. What do you think, Dilan? Maybe we should just...dispose of them.”

“That’s what I’ve said from the very beginning.”

Lea felt his stomach drop upon hearing that. “I-I’m sure you can find some use for us!”

“As if. Unless a couple of brats like you can fight monsters, that is. Got a huge problem down in the basement.”

Isa’s heart began to race. _Monsters!? Is that why there’s screaming?_

Before Isa could say anything, Lea desperately offered his services. “I can fight!”

“Oh, can you now?” Braig asked skeptically.

“If I can do something useful for you, you’ll let us go?” The words just came pouring out of his mouth before he could think them through.

“Lea...” 

“Haha! Well, if you can pull your weight, maybe I can work out a deal.”

“Fine! Let me fight for you! Please!”

“All right, Carrot Top. We’ll give you a shot.” Braig was beside himself with amusement.

Dilan wasn’t feeling the same way. “What about that one?”

 _Isa has never fought a day in his life. He doesn’t even play any sports_. “No, he can’t...he wouldn’t be...”

Dilan had a mean scowl on his face upon hearing Lea. “This is absurd. Why are we listening to these children? Let’s just get rid of them both. They are a liability.”

“Hey, if the kid fails, he’s a goner, anyways. At least we can put him to use first.”

Dilan looked over at Isa, who was frozen with fear. “And him? Do we eliminate him?”

“No! Don’t!” Lea pleaded.

Braig looked over at Lea, chuckling a bit. “Aw, just leave Blue here for now. Maybe it’ll give Red some extra motivation to work hard. As long as _something’s_ being done about those things, we can’t really complain. I mean, I don’t wanna go deal with ‘em myself. Do you?”

“Hmph. Fine.”

“All right. I’ll be right back for you, Red.”

The sound of footsteps gradually grew quieter before disappearing.

“Lea, are you crazy!? You can’t go off and fight monsters! Why do you always jump into things without thinking or consulting with anyone!?”

Lea had never seen Isa so upset before. He was also terrified, but he tried his best to stay calm. “You heard that guy. If I don’t do something, they’re gonna get rid of us.”

Isa didn’t have a rebuttal for that. “Then, I’ll come with you!”

“That’s not a good idea, man.” 

“You think I’m just gonna let you go alone!? What if something happens to you!? No! I’m coming with you!”

Lea sighed. _This is my fault. It was my idea to sneak inside the castle_. _I won’t let Isa get hurt because of me_. “Look, I want to take you with me. But it’s too dangerous. Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you came, you’d...” he hesitated to finish.

“...I’d just get in your way?”

Lea put his hand on Isa’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “I’m sorry, Isa. But it’d be way too dangerous if you came. How can I protect myself if I have to protect you, too?”

Isa was staring at the floor. He found it hard to argue with what Lea said. The last thing he wanted was to get Lea killed. “There’s gotta be something I can do to help. Don’t leave me behind. Please.”

 _I really don’t want to leave you. But I don’t exactly have much of a choice._ “Isa...it’ll be all right.”

Isa looked up at Lea. “But...who will be there if something happens to you? I’ll never see you again.” His voice was barely audible.

“C’mon. I’m a big boy. You don’t need to worry about me so much. I’m really tough, you know.” 

“Play fights aren’t the same as fighting real monsters, Lea...”

 _I know._ “Listen. I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

During their exchange, Braig had returned without them noticing. “All right. Time to make yourself useful.” He opened the cell and motioned to Lea.

Lea took one last look at Isa and gave him a reassuring smile. “I’ll see you later.”

“...See you...”

Then he was escorted away.

Another man accompanied Braig and Lea to the long spiral staircase. As they made their long trek to the basement, the two men started talking.

“The shadows that crawl beneath the castle... Are they the people who lost their hearts, or incarnations of darkness? Or something entirely beyond my imagination? All my knowledge has provided no answer,” said the white-haired man.

“Don’t know. Never seen anything like ‘em before.”

“One thing I am sure of is that they are entirely devoid of emotion. There is no doubt that they are deeply connected to the people's hearts. Further study may unravel both their motivations and the mysteries shrouding the heart.”

 _The mysteries of the heart? What does he mean by that?_ Lea silently wondered.

“Fortunately, there is no shortage of test samples. They are multiplying underground at a rapid pace.” The man entered a code and opened the mechanically-locked door at the bottom of the staircase. “They still need a name. Those who lack hearts... I will call them the Heartless.”

 _Those who...lack hearts?_ The door slowly opened, revealing the large-white walled laboratory behind it. That was when Lea laid eyes on the Heartless for the first time.


	4. Days 23 & 24: The Upper Floors

He had been sent to Castle Oblivion plenty of times before. The castle was home to an extremely special place, though few of the Organization’s members knew about it. The Chamber of Waking.

Axel finished his preparations for the trip and left his room.

_I won’t see this room for a while._

“Axel. I have a message from Lord Xemnas,” someone said from behind him.

He paused in the hallway and wordlessly turned to meet an impassive Saïx.

“We have reason to believe that one or more of the members posted at Castle Oblivion intend to betray us. Find them and dispose of them.”

 _That was a rather roundabout way of putting it. There’s no one else in the vicinity. Why is Saïx delivering his message so evasively?_ Axel’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. _Then again, Saïx does prefer to express himself in ambiguous, indirect ways._

“Really? Exact words straight from Lord Xemnas’s own lips?” Axel remarked before he could stop himself.

Saïx raised one eyebrow. “Does it matter?”

“Actually, yeah. I think it does.”

Unable to deny that, Saïx let out a sigh. “You have your orders. Eliminate the traitors.”

“Okay. Got it.”

 _There are six members going to Castle Oblivion, including myself. How many are traitors? And what defines ‘traitor’?_ _I’m supposed to judge everything for myself, am I?_ _What the hell is going to happen at Castle Oblivion?_ _Could some of the founding members possibly be plotting rebellion? This is getting interesting._

He didn’t notice the smile forming on his lips.

* * *

Castle Oblivion stood in the realm between—the liminal place belonging to neither darkness nor light but somewhere in the middle, and its existence was not widely known. It was home to worlds shadowed with mist that never cleared and worlds made of paths that went on and on forever. By traversing through those places, which they came to call the Corridors of Darkness, members of the Organization could travel from the realm between into other worlds that were otherwise isolated.

In a certain room in Castle Oblivion, Axel lounged on a sofa, similar to the one in the Grey Area of the Castle That Never Was. It was just as uncomfortable. Castle Oblivion itself was an unpleasant place.

After a while, Marluxia approached him. “Axel. It is time.”

Axel got up eagerly. “Finally. Let’s get this show on the road.”

Marluxia led Axel to a specific room where Larxene was already waiting. It was a large white room, no different to most of the others. It had a tiny bird cage with an angel doll in it. A young blonde girl, who was obviously a prisoner, was sitting in a chair in the corner with a sketchbook in her lap.

Axel and the girl made eye contact briefly.

_So, this the the special Nobody I heard about. A caged bird. I guess she draws, trying to capture the feeling of having a heart. I’m probably the same. I laugh and joke, like I did as a human. But, I’m not free, either._

“This is Naminé. She was born here in this castle recently and is the one keeping the castle in its current state. She is a witch who can manipulate memories. She has power over the memories of Sora and those who are connected to him.”

“That’s a strange power,”Axel said. _We of the organization each have our own unique weapons and abilities, based on the memories of our human lives. But I’ve never heard of a power like that._

Marluxia smiled. “She’s the Nobody of Kairi, one of the seven princesses. No darkness in her heart at all. She is one of the seven pure hearts needed to maintain balance in the worlds.”

This was even more confusing to Axel. “But how could someone like that leave behind a Nobody?”

“Because her heart was inside of Sora when _he_ became a Heartless.”

_Born from the heart of a princess. She’s a strange being, all right. The way she came into being is completely unique. Perhaps she isn’t even a Nobody._

Larxene finally spoke up. “Marluxia has been spying on Sora for a while now. He left Kairi behind and is now looking for Riku. His lackeys are also looking for their king, Mickey. We should be able to use that to our advantage. It won’t be hard to lure them here.”

“So, what exactly is the plan once they get here?”

“Naminé can rewrite memories,” Larxene explained. “When we lure Sora here, we can use that ability to alter _his_ memories. Then, with the right memories, he’ll do whatever the organization wants. It’s really that simple.”

Marluxia looked over at the captive girl. “Naminé. What are Sora’s most precious memories? Those should tell us what his weakness is.”

Naminé looked up from her drawing. It was a picture of Sora and Kairi holding hands. In Kairi’s other hand was a star-shaped fruit. “His most precious memories...are of Kairi.”

Just then, an image appeared on crystal ball in the middle of the room. Everyone turned around to look at it.

“Ah, so this is Namine’s magic. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Larxene remarked.

Axel looked at the crystal ball intently. Through it, he was able to view Sora’s most precious memories.

_“You know, I was a little afraid at first…but now I’m ready.” Kairi looked at Sora, speaking like she’d made up her mind. “No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here.”_

_“Yeah, of course!”_

_“I’m glad… Sora, don’t ever change.”_

_“Huh?”_

_Kairi smiled at his startled sound. “I just can’t wait. Once we set sail, it’ll be great.”_

_“Yeah… We’ll make it, for sure.”_

_The sun was nearly gone now. The waves went on and on with their calm, soft rush._

A second memory flashed by...

_“A Keyblade that unlocks people’s hearts…” Sora murmured. “I wonder…”_

_“Sora…?” Donald stared at him uneasily._

_“You don’t mean—!” Goofy started._

_Sora picked up the dark Keyblade and walked over to the sleeping Kairi._

_“Sora, wait!” cried Goofy, but Sora only looked at the other two and smiled._

_He turned the dark Keyblade so he was holding it backward and unwaveringly plunged it into his own chest. He let go of the dark Keyblade, and it floated up, shining blackly, dissolving into six glowing lights. The lights scattered and disappeared into the princesses._

_“Sora?! Sora!” Goofy went to him, and before his eyes, a single light emerged from Sora’s chest. It drifted away and glowed above Kairi’s chest before it vanished._

_Kairi slowly opened her eyes. In the same instant the Keyhole took its complete form._

_“Soraaaa!” Donald shouted, running toward him._

_Kairi caught Sora in her arms as he fell—but there was no weight, and he turned to light that sparkled and vanished. “Sora…?” The last glints of light in Kairi’s hands floated up and faded._

One more memory...

_“This time, I’ll protect you.” Kairi spread her arms to shield the little Heartless. All at once, the other Heartless pounced. She took the little one in her arms and fell, covering him, and the Heartless swarmed over her. “Sora!”_

_“Kairi?!” Donald and Goofy turned. They couldn’t see her through the throng of Heartless. But suddenly a brilliant light shone out and blasted the Heartless away from Kairi. They glowed and vanished._

_“What’s goin’ on?!” Goofy yelped._

_In the center of the light, Kairi stood in Sora’s arms. “Kairi… Thank you.”_

_She opened her eyes. “Sora!”_

Another memory flashed by...

_“You know what’s funny? I looked everywhere for you, but you were with me the whole time. But finally we’re together again, Kairi.” Then his smile faded a little. “Now it’s time to get Riku back.”_

_“You think it’ll ever be the same again between us?” She looked down, too, and her voice was small. “Riku’s lost his…”_

_“He’ll be okay! I turned into a Heartless, and you saved me, right? I was lost in the darkness. I couldn’t find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things—my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice—your voice. You brought me back.”_

_“I didn’t want to just forget about you, Sora. I couldn’t!”_

_“…I guess that’s what it means, that our hearts are connected. The light from our hearts broke through the darkness… I saw that light, and that’s what saved me.”_

_Kairi nodded. “No matter how deep the darkness, there will always be a light shining within.”_

_“I guess it’s more than just a fairy tale.”_

_“Well, let’s go and save Riku!” she said, determined._

_But Sora shook his head. “You can’t go.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“Because it’s way too dangerous.”_

_“C’mon, Sora. We made it this far by sticking together. You can’t go alone!” Kairi shot back._

_“Kairi, even if we’re apart, we’re not alone anymore. Right?”_

_At Sora’s earnest look, she smiled brightly and put her shoulders back. “I can’t help?”_

_“Well, you’d kind of be in the way.”_

_“Okay. You win,” she relented and took something out of her pocket. “Take this.” It was a charm made of thalassa shells, five of them tied together in the shape of a star. “It’s my lucky charm. So you have to bring it back to me!” she said, teasing a little, leaning over the charm in his hand._

_“Don’t worry. I will.” Sora closed his fingers over it._

_“Promise?”_

_“Promise,” he said solemnly, looking into her eyes._

_“Don’t ever forget, Sora. Wherever you go, I’m always with you.”_

_“I know.”_

Yet another memory...

_“Sora…”_

_He heard a small voice from behind him and turned. “Kairi!”_

_She was standing there alone. “Sora!”_

_He ran to her and clasped her hand in his. Just then, with a terrible rumble, the realm of darkness began to collapse beneath their feet._

_“Kairi! Remember what you said before? I’m always with you, too! I’ll come back to you. I promise!”_

_“I know you will!”_

_The drifting ground pulled them apart. They held on to each other as long as they could—and they had to let go. They called each other’s names, one more time…_

* * *

Larxene now wore a devilish grin. “So. Sora is looking for Riku, but he made a promise to see Kairi again.”

Marluxia nodded. “Precisely.”

“Maybe we can replace Sora's memories of Kairi with memories of Naminé. She can have her own little promise with him!” She clasped her hands in excitement. “Then he’ll think _she’s_ the most important person to him. Men with hearts are so predictable. He’d never be able to resist his precious little girlfriend being in trouble. He’ll do anything to see her. We’ll be able to get him to do whatever we want.”

Axel was looking down at the floor. _So, that’s the plan. I’m sure that using those memories, they’ll be able to have Sora act the way they want._ He looked up.

Both Marluxia and Larxene were looking at him, as if they were anticipating a reaction.

 _I want them to trust me_. “Not bad,” he said with a smile. “I have to say, it sounds like this plan just might work.”

Marluxia grinned. “Axel, go see what the underground team is doing. But make yourself inconspicuous.”

 _So, he wants me to spy on the others_. _Hm_. _That might give me an opportunity to learn more about the Replica Project. Not many in the organization even know about it. I wonder how much Saïx even knows about it._ “Roger that.” 

Axel created a dark corridor and disappeared into it.

* * *

He traveled to the basement and observed from a distance.

Vexen was staying in a gloomy chamber, carrying out some kind of work. A puppet came tumbling in front of him. It had no face and no clothes. Vexen looked at it with a twisted smile.

“I have identified the scent,” said Zexion from behind him. 

Vexen turned around to face him.

“It is Riku.”

“The scent…? Oh, the other presence that appeared beside Maleficent.” Vexen appeared to considered this. “But Riku—he was stuck with the king behind the Door of Darkness. How could he have escaped?”

“His being was once merged with the darkness,” Zexion replied, detached and clinical. “And he may be closer to the darkness now.”

“Fascinating… So that’s why you mistook him for the Superior. The dark power given to Riku must have facilitated his escape from its realm. Quite a specimen—connected to both the Keyblade and the darkness. We’ll need more data.” Vexen turned back to the puppet.

“What I would like to know is why he appeared here in Castle Oblivion,” said Zexion.

Vexen laughed over his shoulder. “Oh, that’s really quite simple. His existence resonates with that of another hero.”

“Sora, you mean?”

“The very same. He arrived earlier. By now, that scoundrel Marluxia must have set his plan in motion—using Naminé’s powers to meddle with Sora’s heart.” Vexen sounded glad about it, for some reason.

Zexion listened quietly.

“It seems he desperately wants the Keyblade master for himself. Well, he can have his silly plots. While he plays around with Sora, we’ll have Riku all to ourselves. The entity that holds real value is the one so much like our Superior—Riku, the hero of darkness!” With that, Vexen resumed his work, making an adjustment to the puppet in front of him.

Zexion kept on watching. “So, how is your progress?”

“The Program is largely on target. No. i, my finest Replica, has proven an even greater success than anticipated. This vessel was judged unfit for number status. I am going to subject it to further testing here.”

“I see.”

_Fit for number status? What's he taking about? And where's the other Replica?  
_

“One thing is clear: could these Replicas not be classified as a special sort of Nobody?” Vexen mused.

 _He thinks we’re the same as these things?_ Axel stared at the blank faceless mannequin. It creeped him out.

“What are your plans for this one?” Zexion asked.

“All that is needed is to collect memories, convert them into data and implant those memories into the Replica. I suppose I'll have to go and greet our new guest.”

“Hm. He is quite an interesting subject. Once you acquire the data from him, that may offer exactly what we need to finally accomplish the goal the Superior has given us. Creating a heart entirely out of data.”

What Zexion said sent a chill down Axel’s spine. _A heart made from data? So, the Replica Program is the successor to the experiments performed all those years ago? Xemnas has never given up on that goal, I see._

_Well, anyways, that’s their plan. And it looks like Riku is here, too. I’ve heard that Riku has previously been controlled by Xehanort’s Heartless, formerly known as "Ansem"._

_Xehanort… in other words, someone extremely close to Xemnas. That’s why they’re so interested in him._ _Well, I guess that's all I need to know here._

Axel disappeared before anyone sensed his presence.

* * *

In front of Axel, Marluxia was studying an image of Sora, the Keyblade master, on a large crystal ball set in the middle of the room.

Axel was lost in thought as he sat back down on the sofa.

 _Why do they even need Sora?_ _The Organization’s objective is to gather hearts, and for that, they need the power of the Keyblade. But they already have a Keyblade wielder—Roxas._ _Is the Organization trying to get more of them under their control? Or is there another plan of some sort?_

_What exactly is this Keyblade thing, anyway? I keep hearing that only very special people can wield it, but they already found two— Sora and Roxas, one human and one Nobody. What makes someone special enough to wield it?_

Marluxia turned away from the crystal ball to face Axel. “So how are things going for the others below?”

The question made him jolt, but Axel kept from showing it as he got to his feet. 

_There seem to be tensions between the upstairs group and the basement group. How much should I tell him?_

“Looks like they have a guest, too,” said Axel. “Riku. Heard that name before?”

“Ah yes… The one who once merged himself with the darkness,” Marluxia murmured.

“Oh, you’ve done your homework.”

“And what are they planning?” Marluxia asked.

“Weeeell, I couldn’t say… But you know about the experiments they’re doing down there, right?”

_Just because we’re assigned to the same castle, doesn’t mean every member knows all of the goals and missions in this place. When it comes down to it, the members of the Organization act independently._

“Are you referring to that nonsense Vexen likes to call science?” Marluxia remarked.

“ _Is_ it nonsense?”

“I can’t imagine that puppet will be of any use. Now then, it’s time for me to greet our hero. The Keyblade master is almost here.” With that, Marluxia vanished.

Even within Castle Oblivion, the Organization members could move about using the corridors. Following his lead, Axel left the room by the same method. He had a bit more spying to do. This time, on the hero.

* * *

Axel watched as Marluxia led Sora into the castle and greeted him.

“What’s going on?! My magic isn’t working!” Donald kept on waving the wand around.

“I should think it’s obvious,” said Marluxia. “The moment you set foot in this castle, you forgot every spell and every ability you ever knew.”

“What’s that mean?!” shouted Sora.

Beneath his hood, Marluxia smiled a little. “In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find. That is the way in Castle Oblivion.”

_To lose is to find and to find is to lose. That has nothing to do with Naminé’s ability. This castle was like that even before she was born. It’s a mysterious place. I wonder if memory loss happens to everyone who gets lost in here._

“Castle Oblivion…?”

“Yes…” Marluxia said kindly. “Here, you will meet people you have known in the past. And you will meet people you miss.”

 _People you know from the past and people you miss. Now that I think about it, Xemnas is the one who told us all these things about Castle Oblivion._ _Saïx did say that he’s always talking to someone in the Chamber of Repose. Just what’s in the Chamber of Waking, anyways?_

“Riku? You mean Riku’s here?!” Sora demanded.

“And the king?!” added Donald.

“Do you want to find them?”

“’Course we do!” yelled Goofy.

“If that is what you want…” With those words, Marluxia walked through them—straight through their bodies.

“I just touched your memories. And I made this. To reunite with those you hold dear…this is what you will use.” Marluxia tossed something to Sora. It was a single card illustrated with a picture of a place he knew.

_Sora will do anything to reunite with those he holds dear. That’s just the kind of person he is. It’s one of the weaknesses of having a heart. I'm confident he'll fall for the bait._

“This is —”

“It’s Traverse Town!” cried Donald and Goofy, both peering at the card in Sora’s hand. 

“That is a promise for the reunion you seek. Hold the card aloft and the door will open… Let the cards be your guide.”

“Guide…?”

“Proceed, Sora. To lose and to claim anew or to claim anew only to lose…” And then, with that foreboding statement, Marluxia disappeared again.

“C’mon—let’s go.” Sora climbed the stairs and stood before the door.

They were on the first story of Castle Oblivion. By the time Sora reemerged on the next floor, Axel was ready and waiting for them.

Marluxia’s greeted the Keyblade master and his companions.

Axel peeked at them from a blind corner. _With his Keyblade ready like that, Sora does look a lot like Roxas._

“So did you enjoy meeting the shadows of your memories?” Marluxia taunted.

“It was good to see everyone,” said Sora, “but what do you really want from me?” 

Marluxia folded his arms, considering his answer carefully. “What do you have to give?”

 _If I can, I want to speak with Sora, although that definitely isn’t part of Marluxia’s plan. Too bad._ “Hello!” Axel announced, appearing beside Marluxia.

“What do you want?” Predictably, Marluxia did not sound very happy.

“No hogging the hero now.” Axel bent down to peer at Sora from eye level. _They really are similar…_

Sora glared right back at them both.

“Then perhaps _you’d_ like to test him.” Marluxia tossed three cards to Axel.

“Perhaps I would,” Axel replied with mock enthusiasm.

With nothing more to say, Marluxia promptly disappeared.

“Hey, wait!” Sora ran for the portal, but Axel blocked his path.

“My show now, Keyblade master.”

“…Who are you?” Sora readied his weapon again.

“Oh, my name’s Axel. Got it memorized?” _I remember introducing myself to Roxas only days ago._

“Axel…” Sora mumbled, then straightened to meet his eyes.

“Good, you’re a quick learner.” Axel grinned and summoned his chakrams.

Behind Sora, Donald raised his wand, and Goofy brandished his shield.

“So, Sora, now that we’re getting to know each other better…don’t you go off and die on me now!” With that, Axel leaped up and took his first swipe at Goofy.

“Whoa!” Goofy went sprawling.

“Wak!” Donald was next, wand and all.

Only Sora was left standing.

After a moment, Axel swung his arms downward, and a wall of flame burst up from the floor. It pressed in on Sora.

“Look out—you’ll get roasted!” Donald and Goofy had backed away, but Sora called out to them, grabbing each by the hand.

The trio ran straight at the flames and rolled on the floor to make it through.

“Oh, not bad!” Axel smirked as Sora dashed at him, Keyblade swinging. His chakrams deflected the blow, but he pretended it had struck home and disappeared on the spot.

_There's no need to bring down Sora. In fact, there's every reason not to._

Still hiding, Axel threw the cards he’d received from Marluxia into Sora’s open hand.

“So we’re supposed to use these and keep going…” said Sora.

“That’s right,” Axel replied, revealing himself again.

“Axel?!”

 _Apparently, he really did think he’d won. Must be a shock._ “Did you really think I’d give up oh so easily after an introduction like that?” Axel teased.

“You were testing us, huh?” Sora brandished his Keyblade.

“And you passed. Congratulations! You’re ready now—ready to take on Castle Oblivion,” said Axel. “You will need to follow your memories. Trust what you remember and seek what you forget. Then you will find someone very special.”

Goofy cocked his head. “You mean King Mickey and Riku?”

“Heh… You will just have to give some more thought to who it is that’s…most important to you. Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they’re out of reach. But I’m sure that you can find yours, Sora.”

“Why me?” Sora shifted from his fighting stance into a more thoughtful posture.

 _We have to switch out Sora’s memories here, in this castle. This is all part of the strategy,_ Axel thought. And so he continued his speech to lay the groundwork for their plan. “You’ve lost sight of the light within the darkness. And it seems that you’ve forgotten that you forgot.”

“The light within the darkness…” Sora murmured, as if it reminded him of something.

Axel seized on that and held out his hand. “Would you like me to give you a hint?”

Goofy looked uncertainly at his friend. “Sora… Do ya need it?”

“I’m gonna figure it out for myself!” Sora retorted, angrily gripping the Keyblade again.

“Good answer! Just what I’d expect from the Keyblade master. But be forewarned… When your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be who you are now.” Leaving them to ponder that, Axel disappeared for real this time. 

* * *

Axel returned to the same room as before. After he had fanned Sora’s curiosity, he fell into thought himself.

_Nobodies are controlled by our memories. And because they control us, we stop being able to remember. Maybe that’s already happened to me._

_It’s strange. I had forgotten all about Ventus. But all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I remembered him._ _And now, here in Castle Oblivion, Sora's going to experience the same thing. Thanks to Naminé the witch and Marluxia the schemer, he's going to remember an "old friend" from his past he had forgotten about. He’s going to think she's the most important person to him. And he’s going to do anything to reunite with her. How will he handle it, I wonder?_

The crystal ball showed an image of Sora and his friends, and Axel was staring at it hard.

Across from him, Larxene also peered into it. “You seem pretty intrigued by this Sora kid,” she said without looking up.

Axel turned away. “Are you telling me you’re not, Larxene?”

She covered her hand with her mouth and giggled. “Haven’t decided yet.” Larxene’s sharp gaze created an altogether severe impression. “I think what intrigues me more is what you see in him,” she crooned.

“Once, for a time, he became a Heartless,” said Axel.

“Oh yes—that’s how he came to this castle.” Larxene folded her arms and took a step toward Axel.

“And do you know what happens to people who turn into Heartless?”

“They lose their minds and their feelings—they’re consumed by the darkness. Of course I know that.”

Axel turned to look at the crystal ball again, at the shape of Sora and his companions glowing inside it. “But not him. Sora held on to his feelings, even as a Heartless. There’s only one other person who’s been able to do that.”

_Just one other person… The only one that we know of. Xehanort..._

“So that’s what interests you?” said Larxene. “Why the Keyblade chose Sora’s heart.”

“What is it that makes his heart shine like that? And what’s sleeping within it?”

“The heart is a mysterious thing, Axel.”

Axel thought about it for a second. Larxene’s words reminded him of what he overheard Xehanort say all those years ago as he was led into the castle basement.

_“There is no doubt that the Heartless are deeply connected to the people's hearts. Further study may unravel both their motivations and the mysteries shrouding the heart.”_

“To unlock the mysteries of the heart. Isn’t that the organization’s mission?” 

Axel placed his hand on the crystal ball and gazed closely at the image of Sora as he thought back to his past.

* * *

Lea sat alone in a dark prison cell located in the underground lab. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

Braig appeared before his cell.

“Where did you take my friend?”

“The failure?”

Lea stood up in indignation. “You _knew_ that was going to happen, didn’t you!? That’s why you made him go on a mission before he was ready! Those Heartless have been targeting him all along! Why would you punish him for that!? It’s not his fault!”

“You’re right, Red. Actually, it’s _your_ fault. You’re the one who’s been drawing all those Heartless to him. It’s no wonder he's been having so much trouble all this time. Poor kid was exhausted.”

That’s not what Lea was expecting to hear. “What do you mean?”

Braig had a nasty smirk and spoke in the most condescending way possible. “It’s real cute how you’ve been trying to play the hero and all, but you’re the one who’s actually been putting your little pal in danger all this time. Still, we _are_ grateful to you. You see, at first the Heartless’ behavior was quite a mystery to us. But thanks to you, we’ve been able to understand them.”

“That’s why you had us fight them? We were just guinea pigs to you all this time?”

“Well, we did need to keep them from multiplying out of control. But more importantly, we needed to study their behavioral principles. And well, they only respond to _living_ subjects. That’s where you two came in.”

 _These guys are sick_. Lea gave Braig an icy glare.

“All our studies concluded that the Heartless are driven to seek hearts. That’s what motivates them. The stronger the heart, the more the Heartless desire it for their own. After that last mission, it confirmed Even’s hypothesis. The Heartless weren’t reacting to that kid. They were reacting to _you_. They wanted your heart. It must be very powerful.”

“...What?” _Why would they be reacting to me? I have no idea what he’s talking about._

“The Heartless react to the darkness in our hearts. That’s the bait that lures them. They seek to prey upon it. Greed, hatred, lust for power...” Braig looked Lea directly in the eye. “...Fear of losing something.”

Lea felt his blood run cold.

“All of those feelings create darkness. And the Heartless were simply attracted to the _source_ of that darkness.” Braig couldn’t help but be amused at the horrified look on Lea’s face. “And it ain’t too hard to see what the source of your fear is, if ya catch my drift.”

 _That’s why the Heartless were drawn to Isa? Because of...me? Because I was afraid of losing him?_ “Where did you take him!?”

“You know, he keeps asking to see you, too. Well, maybe it’s time I granted him his wish. It’s the least we can do. You’ve helped us get one step closer to unlocking the mysteries of the heart, after all.”

Braig continued to stare at Lea. His cold gaze was unsettling.


	5. Day 25: The Traitor

Axel and Larxene peered into the great crystal ball.

“It looks like Sora’s memories have begun to awaken… Just as we intended.” Larxene giggled, peering at the image of Sora in the crystal ball.

Axel looked up and smirked faintly at her. “Everything’s proceeding according to plan, huh? Let’s see how far this group will go.”

_The fake memories are taking hold in Sora. Bit by bit, his past is being painted over so that he’ll act as the Organization wants, and his true memories are fading. Fragments of memory are such delicately balanced things. The tiniest push can dislodge them. Naminé has the power to give them that push and string the pieces together in different ways. Although that’s only because of the power of the Organization._

“About time for the next step, wouldn’t you say?”

“Wait—you had your fun on the first floor. This time, it’s my turn.” Larxene flashed her most bewitching smile and delicately placed her finger under Axel’s chin. “I wanna have my way with him first.”

Axel moved his eyes away in aversion. “…Don’t break him.” The words unconsciously slipped out of his mouth. He wasn’t even sure where they came from.

“Ohhh, do I detect a soft spot?” 

“Sora is half one of us. He’s on our side.” But even as he said it, Axel wasn’t entirely sure what he meant. It threw him off for a moment.

_Am I talking about the boy we plan to turn into our tool or about Sora’s other half—his Nobody, Roxas? Either way, if Larxene considers Sora one of us, she’ll go easier on him. An appeal to group identity. Nothing’s more important in the organization than that. You’re either “one of us” or you’re a traitor._

“You don’t trust me?” Larxene slumped in mock disappointment. “I know when to let up. I’m not stupid enough to break my toys.”

_Trust. That’s not a word I take lightly. No, I definitely don’t trust you. Trust is for those with hearts. I decided who to trust back when I was a human. And speaking of trust… I still have no idea who the traitor is. Time to find out what you’re up to, Larxene._

“Don’t forget. He’s the key. We’ll need him if we’re going to take over the Organization.” A smile played at the corners of his mouth as he laid the trap.

_“We”—I definitely wasn’t talking about Larxene and I. But, Larxene might interpret it as “us”. Not exactly lying._

And sure enough, Larxene took the bait. “So you’re in on it, too? Well, keep it under your hood, at least until the time is right.” With that, she disappeared, off to meet Sora.

Once the room was empty, Axel remarked, “You would have been wise to have done the same, Larxene.” _All right, Saïx. I guess this is what you meant. I think we have our traitor. Or one of them, at least._

After Larxene left, Axel watched her confront Sora on the crystal ball. 

_Watching the hero move, I think of Roxas. Of Roxas’ movements—_

Axel thought anew about the connection between the Nobody and the true form.

_I guess he really is Sora’s Nobody. But one question remains. How can Sora and Roxas exist at the same time? Moreover, they’re so different. They don’t even have the same personality. Roxas is definitely more like him. Ventus._

_I always thought that a Nobody was what was left behind when a person loses their heart. But maybe we’re something else altogether. Can a Nobody actually be a...different person than their other? I’m still the same. I think._

_But Saïx. Sometimes I almost think I’m talking to an entirely different person._

At that moment, Vexen had just arrived from the basement with his puppet, the Replica. Axel looked over at them.

 _Vexen’s doll looks completely different to what I saw when I investigated the basement. It’s now taking the shape of a silver-haired boy—probably Riku._ _I’ve definitely heard that Replicas gain powers depending on memories. But I’ll bet no one but Vexen would have been able to tell that such an elaborate thing was a Replica._

Axel turned his attention back to the crystal ball.

“Well? Are you enjoying your stay at the castle? I bet it’s nice to peel away all the worthless memories and awaken the true memories that lie deep in your heart. But it seems that you’re still forgetting the most important thing here. When that poor girl hears that you’ve forgotten her name, why…it’ll just break her heart!” Larxene cried, her voice breaking for dramatic effect.

“Poor girl?” said Sora. “Do you know her?!”

Larxene shrugged and giggled.

“Is she…here?” Sora wondered.

“She sure is! You see, the bad guys are holding her captive somewhere deep inside the castle. And obviously, you’re the hero, so you’ll have to go save her. Although…I’m a bad guy, so you have to go through me!” Larxene didn’t so much run as glide in a blur right into Sora, sending him flying.

A star-shaped pendant fell out from his shirt and hit the floor.

“What’s that? Is that thing mine?”

“What a shame! You’ve been wearing it all this time and forgot?” she said with an incredulous laugh. “No, that’s not possible. The memory must be engraved somewhere deep within your heart! Think carefully, now. What, oh what, could it be? And who gave it to you?”

“Na… Na…mi……”

_Whether they’re positive or negative, important memories are engraved deep into the heart. I had many such memories, back when I still had a heart. Not that they do me much good nowadays._

Axel watched the rest of the battle.

_Looks like the battle is over already. Larxene lost to Sora. However, because of her actions, Sora’s memories of Kairi and Naminé are completely mixed up, and he’s starting to think that Naminé, who he’s never even met, is very important to him._

Noticing that Larxene had just returned, Axel looked up from the crystal ball.

“Whew… Throwing that battle wore me out,” she sighed.

“Really? It looked to me like you just plain lost.” Axel smirked.

_I can’t deny that I enjoyed watching Larxene get taken down a peg by Sora. Anyone who enjoys toying with others that much deserves it._

Larxene raised her finely shaped eyebrows. “How dare you! You don’t appreciate the nuances of—”

“An ungainly effort,” a low voice nastily broke in. “Just as Axel says.”

“Vexen!” Larxene started.

His glance was viciously cold. “How could you let yourself be humbled by someone of such meager significance? You shame the organization.”

Larxene sulked at his rant, biting her lip. 

_Vexen’s supposed to be in charge of operations down below; if there was any reason for him to surface, it’d most likely be to put his creation to some kind of test. And at the moment, I wouldn’t mind seeing this puppet in action for myself._

“How can we help you, Vexen? It’s not often we see you topside.”

“I came to lend you a hand,” Vexen replied. “You obviously believe this Sora has much potential, but I remain unconvinced he is truly worth such coddling. An experiment, I think, would show if he is really of any value to us.” 

_As if he has any right to judge others’ worth that way._

“Hmph. Well, here we go again.” Larxene sniffed. “Just an excuse for you to carry out your little experiments. That’s all.” 

“I’m a scientist. Experiments are what I do, yes,” Vexen replied with a hint of a smirk.

_The cold disposition of a scientist. I can’t stand that way of thinking._

“Whatever. You can do what you want.” Axel glanced at the Replica with a faint smile. “But, you know, I get the feeling that testing Sora is just a way for you to test your valet.”

“Valet? He’s the product of pure research.” Vexen’s self-satisfied retort showed the only feeling he was capable of having.

“He’s a toy. That’s what he is,” Larxene said curtly, before he could launch into a long-winded scientific rebuttal.

_Toys. That’s all these guys see anyone as._

Vexen gave her a sharp look. “Hmph. You could stand to keep your mouth shut about things you don’t understand.” 

_I really just want him to go already._

“Anyway… Since you came all the way up here, you’re gonna want this.” With a cocky smile, Axel tossed a card to Vexen. “A humble gift for my elder! I hope you use it to put on a very good show for us.” 

“Oh, how very helpful of you. Well, then, I’ll be using that… Come along.” That last bit was directed at the boy with silver hair.

“It’s just a card,” the Replica said flatly. “What good is that?”

“That card holds the memories of Sora and Riku’s home,” Axel explained, studying the Replica’s reaction.

“With that, and a little help from Naminé, you’ll have all the real Riku’s memories. We can even get her to make you forget that you’re nothing but a fake.” Larxene was having a terribly good time. “In other words, we’ll remake your heart so you can be just the same as the real Riku. ‘Kay?”

“You want to remake my heart?! The real Riku is a wimp who’s afraid of the dark—afraid of himself!” the Replica cried. “What do I want with the heart of a loser like that?!”

_Some of Riku’s memories must have already been copied into the Replica. If he had more, he should continue to gain power. Power like that could be useful._

“Any objections, Vexen? You do want to use him to test Sora, don’t you?”

Vexen crossed his arms, considering Larxene’s proposal for the briefest moment. “It must be done.”

“How can you?! Vexen, you’re betraying me?!” The Replica moved to face him in protest.

“I told you I would make good use of you, didn’t I?” Vexen replied coldly.

_You have to be useful to them in some way, or your existence is worthless. This Replica is going to learn that the hard way._

“Relax, kiddo,” said Larxene. “It probably won’t even hurt that much!”

“I’ll hurt _you_!” The Replica charged at Larxene, sword raised.

She flung him away.

Vexen smiled as he looked on.

Axel just stood there watching with his arms folded.

“Stupid little toy! You think you could hurt me? But hey—look on the bright side. Naminé will erase the memory of me knocking you flat, along with everything else in your head.”

Naminé watched, covering her mouth in horror.

Larxene continued, “Instead, she’ll implant the loveliest little memories you could ever hope for! Who cares if they’re all lies? No big deal!” She loomed over the Replica as he tried to get up.

“No, don’t…”

But Larxene’s next attack flung him into the wall and knocked him unconscious.

_Harsh. But that’s how the organization treats its tools._

“All right, Naminé, you’re up,” Axel called to the girl sitting silently in the corner of the room.

“Okay…” she murmured.

“It is possible to rearrange memories without the aid of the witch.” Vexen hoisted up the Replica.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” said Larxene. “Rearranging memories is one thing, but we need to rewrite them, too. She’s the only one who can handle that part. Isn’t that right, Naminé?”

The girl made a tiny nod.

“And once you rewrite their memories, Sora and that puppet will both adore you,” Larxene added. “Isn’t that exciting?”

Naminé had no reply.

* * *

Larxene and Vexen loomed over the boy collapsed on the floor in the corridor.

“Ugh, I _told_ you he wasn’t ready yet,” said Larxene, prodding the boy with her foot. “This is all your fault for rushing things, Vexen.”

“I seem to recall _you_ saying that Sora had already made it into that floor.” Vexen hoisted up the boy’s limp body and turned away from her.

Larxene folded her arms. “Now, what are you doing?” she asked as if it could hardly concern her.

“His memory is still in the process of being rewritten… And if the helix of his memories should break down in the midst of that process, the Replica himself will break down. Isn’t that so, Naminé?”

“Yes…” Naminé’s tiny voice replied. She stared at the boy who was white as a sheet.

“So, all we have to do is complete his memories and send him to do battle with the hero,” said Vexen, who then left with Naminé in tow.

The Replica was taken by Vexen and placed inside of a flower-shaped capsule. For the next few hours, he slept inside the pod as his memories were slowly being rewritten.

Axel stood against the wall with his arms folded and just watched.

“Restoration at 91 percent”, Larxene said impatiently. “Time to go check on Sora.”

_The memory of an important promise. That Replica is going to be controlled by it now. With that kind of memory, what difference will it make if he’s a fake? To him, it’ll be like he has a heart._

Watching the puppet asleep in the flower-bud pod, Axel murmured to the girl beside him. “That’s an incredible power you have, Naminé.”

“But…the only thing I can really do is string together bits of memory in different ways,” she said. “I can’t put in pieces that were never there to start with.”

“Doesn’t that mean that as long as you’ve got the data, you can pull it off?” Axel wondered. _The Organization already has the technology to convert memories to data. I know that much._

“But I need something to hold it,” said Naminé. “Like a container.”

“A container, huh…?” _So in this case, the Replica is the container. A container for memories. Just like us Nobodies, in a way._

“And besides,” she went on, “Nobodies like you are at the mercy of their memories. It might awaken something similar in the Replica.”

 _Awaken something?_ “What do you mean?”

“A heart—” Naminé began to say something more, but at that moment, Vexen burst into the room.

“Have you not finished rewriting those memories yet?”

She turned. “No, I’m not done. If his memory helix collapses, the Replica himself will probably break down, too…” At the thought, her gaze dropped sadly.

“Well, according to Larxene, Sora is about to arrive at the next floor.” Vexen typed something into the pod’s keyboard, and its door swung slowly open.

The Replica blinked.

After awakening, he made his way to Sora once more and challenged him to a fight. As usual, Axel watched the fight on the crystal ball. At the moment, it was just him and Naminé in the room.

“Don’t feel bad. That’s what this castle does to you after a while.” Riku smirked. “It’s great. You forget all the useless stuff and remember for the first time what really matters. And I remembered, Sora. Now I know the one thing that’s the most important to me.”

“ _Useless_ stuff?!” cried Sora.

“Protecting Naminé,” said Riku. “Nothing else matters. Not a thing.”

Sora stared at him and slowly, with a smile, took a fighting stance with the Keyblade. “Hey, Riku… I think I’ll jog your memory.”

“You can try.” He readied his sword, too. 

“Don’t you remember, Riku? We were always fighting like this on the beach!”

“Hmph. I remember you losing!” The Replica pushed the Keyblade away and swung his sword.

“Then you can remember…more than that!” Sora cried.

They attacked and blocked and countered over and over until they were both out of breath.

“C’mon, Riku! Remember!” Their weapons clashed with a tremendous clang and the Replica’s sword went spinning through the air.

“Rgh…” He fell to one knee.

“Riku…”

“Too bad, Sora. I’m not remembering a thing.” Wavering, he stood up again. “But we can keep fighting if you want.”

But, seeing him like that, Sora didn’t want to. He reached out his hand to the Replica. “C’mon, Riku… Never mind fighting. Let’s go help Naminé.”

“Together…?” Riku shoved his hand aside. “Yeah, right. That’s just like you—always barging in on my heart!”

“What’s _that_ mean?!” Sora demanded.

“Hmph. You forgot that, too? You never cared. It never mattered to you how I felt!” With that the Replica turned away and ran up the stairs through the next door. 

Sora clutched his fist to his chest. “You won't push me away.”

As Axel watched the two childhood best friends clash he couldn’t help but remember the fight he had with his own long, long ago. Just like Sora, all he wanted was to bring his best friend back. They both wanted the same thing, but they had to fight.

Axel slowly made his way over to Naminé’s side. “Does it hurt, Naminé? Watching your two childhood friends fight all because of you?”

Naminé hung her head in shame. She didn’t meet Axel’s gaze.

“You have my sympathies. From the heart.” His words were obviously not meant for her.

With that biting sarcasm, Naminé finally looked up and glared straight at him.

For a moment, Axel felt like those deep blue eyes might swallow him up and drown him. He blinked. “But don’t waste your time,” he warned. “We Nobodies can never hope to be somebodies.” He turned his back to her. His voice didn’t sound angry anymore. Just sad.

Naminé herself couldn’t help but feel pity for him in that moment. Her gaze fell into her lap. She stared down at the sketchbook in her arms.

_Marluxia was right to manipulate the hero of light. But the underground team weren’t wrong, either, bringing out the Replica in response. And since I’m not taking either side, I can use both the Replica and the Keyblade wielder. But it would be impossible to stay on top in this castle without Naminé. And she did say some interesting things during our earlier conversation near the sleeping Replica. What does she know about the heart?_

“Say, Naminé,” Axel murmured closely, as if he didn’t want to be overheard. “Isn’t there something else you can do?”

When she raised her head, there was fear in her eyes.

_It’s a risky move, trying to push her to action._

Naminé didn’t look at him again or even move. She only stared at her lap, motionless as a doll.

_She’s not going to make a move. Looks like I’ll have to._

Axel left the room using a dark corridor.

* * *

He arrived in front of the Riku Replica.

“Heya, fake—er, Riku.”

_He doesn’t have any memories of being a Replica any more. He’s so sure that he’s Riku._

“What do you want?” he demanded.

 _There’s sweat on the Replica’s forehead. Do puppets sweat?_ “That hero was pretty strong, huh?” Axel smirked down at him, patting him on the shoulder. “Even Naminé admits she likes strong guys, y’know.”

The Replica lowered his head and bit his lip.

_Just like a human boy with a heart would. And I know all too well how a teenage boy with a heart acts._

“Well?” said Axel. “You’d like to get stronger, wouldn’t you, Riku?”

“How?” The question was accompanied by a resentful glare.

Axel threw a single card to him. It struck the Replica in the chest and fluttered to the floor.

_That card has no link to anyone’s memories; it's a room key in Castle Oblivion. Usually, holding a card up to a door in the castle would open up a new world, but this is simply linked to whatever room Sora is in. I’ve made my choice. Rather than let Vexen pull the strings, I’m going to get a pawn of my own with this Replica._

“If you use that card, you’ll be able to get some more power.”

“…Why are you helping me?” The Replica eyed the card on the floor.

“Because I wouldn’t mind seeing the hero taken down myself.”

_That was such a bald-faced lie that even a puppet probably wouldn’t be fooled. But I don’t care. It should still have the intended effect. With the fake memories from Riku implanted in him, the Replica will want power at any cost. That’s the entire meaning of his life now._

“So, Riku, what’re you waiting for?” he prompted.

As if he’d finally made up his mind, the Replica picked up the card.

“That’s right—just hold the card up to the door. And then you’ll have the chance to become stronger.”

_If that Replica stops obeying orders, Marluxia won’t stand for it. There’s already tension between him and Vexen. I can pit them against each other. I can’t risk something as powerful as that Replica to falling into the other members’ hands. Vexen is in the way. Pitiable, but unavoidable._

The Replica did as he said.

As Axel watched, a smirk came to his face, and then he vanished.

* * *

Once Axel returned, the situation after Larxene’s loss had been reversed. This time, it was her turn to take Vexen to task.  
  
Axel wasn’t ignoring them, but he was also keeping an eye on Naminé as she cowered in a corner. _How much does she know about that puppet?_

The big crystal ball showed an image of the trio. “So what’s going on, Vexen? I thought your little toy was under your control—so where is he? Not taking orders anymore?” Larxene arched her finely shaped eyebrows and stared expectantly at Vexen.

Beside her, Axel smirked. The Replica had gone missing after a battle with Sora—or so they thought. In fact, after his failure, he had simply taken Axel’s bait and run off. Vexen and Larxene, however, had no way of knowing that.   
  
The color drained from Vexen’s face—what little there was to begin with.

“Now Larxene... Shouldn't we give Vexen the benefit of the doubt? It’s all part of some elaborate plan. He’s hiding somewhere to lure Sora deeper into the castle, right?” Axel then turned to Vexen. “I suppose we should just leave it at that, you know.”

 _Right about now, Riku—or rather, the Replica— should be wandering through the worlds. All my plans are in order_ , Axel thought smugly. _There’s just one other matter…where is the other Replica?_ _There was supposed to be two of them, but I haven’t seen any evidence of it yet. I guess it doesn’t matter. Of greater concern are the traitors. Not the obvious turncoats, but the ones who will get in his and my way. And right now, that’s Vexen and Zexion._

“Aha! Oh, I see now! I _never_ would have guessed,” Larxene giggled with a theatrically clueless shrug.

_But she…she and the others haven’t realized what’s happening in this castle now—what’s about to happen._

She went on taunting him. “I’m _so_ sorry. It’s just hard to tell whether your research is supposed to be of any use whatsoever.”

_More than anyone, he would hate being called useless. To a scientist, something is either useless or useful. If it has no use...it has no right to exist._

Vexen began to tremble with rage. “Silence!”

“Aw, are you sulking? Predictable response. Men without hearts are so boring.”

“As if _you’re_ one to talk, you conniving little _—_ ” He glared at her with his fists clenched. He summoned his shield.

 _The fights that break out between those two are always so predictable._ _Here we go—the star of the show has appeared._

Marluxia appeared between the squabbling pair after his lengthy absence. “That’s enough.” The hood of his black cloak covered his face.

Larxene and Vexen both stopped short.

“Marluxia!” Vexen exclaimed.

He slowly pushed back his hood. “Vexen, the fact is that your project was a failure,” he said icily with a faint, threatening smile. “You had better not disappoint us again.” 

_From what I’ve seen of the Replica, Vexen’s strategy, or perhaps his scheme, could be termed a success. But as far as Marluxia is concerned, they have no need for a puppet that acts outside the Organization’s will._

The smile grated on Vexen’s nerves. He stalked up to Marluxia. “Disappoint _you_?!” he spat. “You go too far! In this organization, you are number eleven! While _I_ am number four, and I will not be ordered around by the likes of you!” Vexen readied his shield.

“This castle and Naminé have been entrusted to me by our leader,” Marluxia told him, unmoved as he raised his scythe to Vexen's throat. “Defying me will be seen as treason against the organization.”

“And traitors are eliminated,” said Larxene, grinning as if she couldn’t wait to see it happen. “That’s what the rules say!” 

_That’s right—Traitors are simply destroyed. Those are the Organization’s rules._

“In the name of the Organization, I pronounce your project a failure,” Marluxia repeated. “And I must report that failure to our Superior.”

_Our leader—a man who had once had another name with other memories… He’s the actual fake. The man who had stolen the identity of Ansem._

Vexen went pale again upon hearing the word leader. “What— no, wait! Please, don’t! I beg of you! Leave him out of this!” He sounded as if he might fall to his knees and beg.

_Failure is the same as treason. All Vexen’s got is his research. Without that, Xemnas has no use for him._

Larxene’s mouth twisted into a nasty grin at his desperation, though Vexen probably couldn’t see it with his head lowered. 

Seeing him like that, Marluxia made a small, cruel smirk. “Perhaps we can work something out.”

“How?” Vexen looked up.

“Eliminate Sora yourself.”

“What?!” He stared, round-eyed, and so did Larxene and Axel. 

_None of his predictions could have prepared him for that kind of an order. Even Larxene seems startled._

Axel pretended to be surprised at the order Vexen received. Without looking straight at her, he was still focused on Naminé, who cowered in the corner, her thin shoulders trembling.

“Is there a problem?” said Marluxia with a smile so cold it was elegant.

“No… It’s just, why…” Vexen floundered. “Won’t that cause a problem?”

“Never you mind.”

After Marluxia’s curt reply, silence filled the strained atmosphere until Larxene broke it. “Are you for real?”

Marluxia didn’t answer, and then Vexen vanished from the room without another word.

“You give a challenge like that to Vexen, and he’ll seriously try to eliminate Sora,” said Axel, not to place any blame, but as a statement of fact.

_I suspect the true intent of the order was to eliminate Vexen, not Sora. Marluxia’s not a complete idiot, after all._

“That would be an unfortunate denouement.” Marluxia turned away and strode toward the corner, where Naminé sat alone. “What will you do?” he asked her. “Before long, your hero will be wiped from existence. But I believe there is a certain promise that he made you. Isn’t that right, Naminé?”

“Yes…” said Naminé in a thin, tiny voice.

“Did you even notice? As we fought, I was delving deep into your memories. And here… Look what I found! A card crafted from all the memories locked in the other side of your heart.” Vexen tossed the card in Sora’s direction. “If you really want to fight me, step into the world that you create with this!”

“What’s he talking about?” As Larxene observed the scene in the crystal ball, she looked up at Marluxia.

“That…would be Twilight Town,” Marluxia murmured, naming the location on the card in Sora’s hand.

Axel’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

“What is he up to, I wonder?” Larxene mused.

“He probably figures he’ll have the advantage fighting in a world he knows better.” Axel crossed his arms. 

“Oh, dear—doesn’t it look like Vexen’s gone and lost his cool?” Larxene giggled, staring into the crystal ball. She and the other two stood around it, watching the image of Sora and his friends versus Vexen. “So what now, Axel? I thought Sora wasn’t supposed to find out about the other side.”

Hearing that phrase, he finally looked at her. _The other side—the world of Sora’s other memories. Twilight Town. The place where we met… But which side is really the “other”?_

_Is it the other side for Roxas, a Nobody? Or for Sora?_

_And what is Vexen trying to do? Is it something to do with his experiments? What could he be trying to accomplish by meddling with Sora’s memories? And how could Twilight Town be in_ Sora’s _memories at all?_

“Well, as long as no one confronts him, we should be able to get away with it,” said Axel, trying to hide his unease.

“But…”

“But…” Marluxia didn’t wait for him to finish. “Let’s have Naminé deal with it. And you go, too, Axel. I trust you know what needs to be done.”

 _Oh, I do; there’s no doubt in my mind_. But he flashed a cocky grin at Marluxia anyway. “Haven’t a clue, really. Maybe you could spell it out for me.”

“Vexen has clearly committed an act of treason against the organization,” said Marluxia with a small smile, as if they were speaking of trifles. “You must eliminate the traitor.”

 _There they are. It's been a while since I heard those words. But they never fail to come_. “No taking that back later.” Without wasting any more time, Axel turned and walked out of the room rather than using the dark portals.

Larxene was laughing quietly. “Too clever by half, Marluxia.”

“So what happens now, I wonder?” Marluxia and Larxene returned their gaze to the crystal ball.

* * *

He strode through the corridors to the floor where Sora and his friends were now. “Eliminate the traitor, huh…?”

_This makes it clear who the real traitors are—for the Organization, at least. Marluxia and Larxene are scheming to betray the whole group. Vexen is just an idiot with a laboratory, and so long as his own position is respected, he has far more interest in science than politics. That leaves the rest of the underground team, but it's too soon to be sure about them._

_I'm not about to ponder the morality of purging Vexen. It's just another task to maintain my good standing with Marluxia and Larxene. I might as well think of it as self-preservation. But why would Vexen conjure Twilight Town, of all places? Thanks to that genius idea, now even the Replica will be heading there._

_And if, by some chance, Sora finds out about Roxas—what would happen then? How would a human react upon learning about his own Nobody? If Sora were to disappear, the same might happen to Roxas. I have to keep that from happening, at least._

So Axel stepped into the Twilight Town of Castle Oblivion’s eleventh floor, where Sora waited.

This place was allegedly extracted from Sora’s memories, but it was every inch the town Axel knew. From the brick buildings to the color of the cobblestones, not a single detail was out of place.

“Sheesh… This castle sure is something,” he said under his breath, marveling anew at the power of these white rooms and their memory-based transformations into other worlds.

He headed into the forest that led to the haunted mansion. 

_The Replica is nowhere to be seen, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t here. Sora and his friends, though, should be this way._

He could hear Vexen shouting from beyond the trees. Keeping himself hidden in the shadows, he spied on their conversation. _It will probably be easier to dispose of Vexen after he’s fought Sora, whether he wins or loses._

“Sora… I’ve got a question for you,” Vexen was saying. “Your memories of Naminé or your feeling about this place—which of the two is more real to you, I wonder?”

“Naminé, of course!” Sora retorted. “Whatever it is that I’m feeling here, I bet it’s just another one of your mean little tricks!”

_What does that mean? What kind of feeling does Sora have about this world? Why is it familiar to him? Something is happening to the connection between Sora’s memories and Roxas’s. Or have they always been so deeply intertwined?_

“Heh-heh… Memory can be a cruel thing. In its silence, we forget, but in its obsession, it binds our hearts.” Vexen’s excessive confidence had not diminished, even as he faced the boy with the Keyblade. “I told you, this place was created solely from another side of your memory. It’s on the other side of your heart that the memory of this place exists. Your heart remembers.”

_Vexen must know something—about memories, and Sora, and Roxas—and how this relates to the heart._

“You’re wrong! I don’t know this place!” Sora lashed out with the Keyblade.

“If you remain bound by the chain of memories and refuse to believe what is truly in your own heart…then you may as well throw it away. You are no Keyblade master—only a puppet controlled by memory. Exactly like my Riku. Your existence is worth nothing!”

_In other words, Riku—that Replica—is just a doll being manipulated by memories. Now Sora is the same. Maybe I'm no different._

“ _Your_ Riku? Worth nothing…?” Sora scowled in confusion. “That’s enough! You’re the one who changed Riku! I’m not gonna listen to you!”

“Oh? You think _I_ changed Riku?” Vexen cackled.

“What’s so funny?!”

“Hmm… Well, perhaps you could say I changed him. Still…the fact is, you feel this place is familiar to you. And so you cannot trust your own feelings—isn’t that right?” Vexen sounded perfectly calm, as if to highlight Sora’s angry shouts.

 _He really needs to shut his mouth_ , Axel thought, silently preparing for the right moment.

“Every word you’ve said is a lie!” Sora lunged with the Keyblade, but Vexen’s shield deflected the blow and flung Sora back. “You’re no hero. Only a puppet who’s thrown away a hero’s heart.”

“I’d never throw away my heart! I’m gonna take you down and save Riku and Naminé. _That’s_ what’s in my heart!”

 _But what_ is _a heart…?_

“You certainly are a foolish puppet. Now die!”

Vexen hurled chunks of ice at Sora. As they began to clash, Axel watched from a distance. He never took his eyes off of Vexen.

* * *

Lea watched as Even set up several silver devices around the large room directly above the underground lab. These devices were used for the collection of memories, although Lea didn’t know this.

Dilan was holding onto Lea and he was unable to move.

“Sir,” Even said with the distinct sound of fear in his voice. “Are you sure about this? They’re just children.”

Xehanort turned to face Even. “Throughout history, those without power were always sacrificed. But to us, this sacrifice shall be counted as a noble one, for it shall serve a greater purpose. The data we collect here will be invaluable. By recreating the conditions that spawn the Heartless naturally, we will be one step closer toward creating a heart out of data. Our master wanted to solve the mystery of the darkness of the heart; to find the answers before this world was lost to those taken by the darkness. Isn’t that why you began this research in the first place, Even?”

Even said nothing.

“The only way to achieve that goal is to go further than he ever dared. True progress requires sacrifice. One that our master was not willing to make. And that is why we will surpass him as scientists. The only way to save this world is to unlock the mystery of the darkness of the heart.”

Even continued to set up the memory devices, though he looked troubled. 

“Bring in the other specimen,” Xehanort commanded.

“Don’t call him that! He’s a _person_ , not a thing!” Lea protested, but was ignored.

Moments later, Aeleus arrived with Isa in tow.

Xehanort looked directly at Isa. “Now. It is time for your punishment.” He then turned to Braig. “You are to eliminate the traitor.”

Braig smiled and raised his arrowguns. “Been waitin' for this all day,” he mumbled to himself.

Isa let out an audible gasp. “No!”

“What the hell are you talking about!? Isa’s not a traitor!” Lea shouted.

“The safety and stability of this peaceful paradise depends on our research here and our study of the Heartless. This boy has repeatedly failed to carry out direct orders from the leader of Radiant Garden. That is an act of defiance and treason.”

Isa’s eyes widened. _No way! That white-haired man is the leader of this world!? He’s Ansem the Wise!?_ “I’m sorry! Please! Just give me another chance! I’ll do better! I swear!”

“We’ve given you more than enough chances. We don’t have any more time to waste on something that serves no purpose.”

“Anyone that doesn’t contribute may as well be annihilated,” Braig happily chimed in.

Isa looked on, completely helpless.

“But ya know, we actually did find a use for you, after all. You’re the perfect bait to help draw the darkness out of your little pal.”

“What!?”

Braig flashed a vicious smirk. “You’ll be the fire that feeds his anger.”

Isa shot Braig an icy glare.

“Aww, whats with that face? We’re gonna have so much fun. It’s been a while since I’ve had a new toy to play with.”

“No! Let me go! I won’t let you do this!” Lea struggled and shouted.

“Silence, boy!” Dilan pinned him to the floor under his weight. Lea couldn’t move.

“Lea!”

“Ah-ah-ah. Your little hero ain’t gonna save you this time, kiddo. He’s gonna watch as you take your last breath.”

Braig shot Isa with a few rounds and he fell to the floor.

“Ahhh!”

“Stop!” Lea closed his eyes tightly. He couldn’t bear to watch, but he knew Isa was being attacked. “Stop hurting him, damn it!”

Xehanort stood next to Lea. “At times, fear can give rise to terrible power. Yes, fear may sharpen into rage and in turn become strength. Now. Let the dark impulses waken in the pit of your heart. Release them, here and now! Release your rage… Show me the strength of the darkness you harbor!”

More shots rang out.

Braig looked down at Isa, who was sprawled out on the floor. “Don’t worry. These are low power rounds. They’re not lethal. I won’t kill you _too_ quickly. After all, we’re gonna need you to give us a lot more screams of pain and anguish first.”

“You see how powerless you are to save him? Savor that rage and despair. Let it empower you!”

Lea was now crying. _What do I do!? I don’t know what to do! I know they’re just trying to trick me so they can turn me into a Heartless! I’m not gonna be able to save Isa if I’m a Heartless! But I’m not strong enough on my own!_

Isa was in a lot of pain, but refused to show it. He didn’t make a sound. His breathing was labored, but he stood up and stared Braig down. _No. I won’t let them use me for this._

“Well, I gotta hand it to ya, Blue. You sure know how to take punishment. Buuut. I know how to dish it out.”

Shots rang out once again.

“Stoooop!” Lea cried hysterically. “Just stop already!” He began struggling erratically but still couldn’t move.

Even couldn’t watch. His intentions started out so pure. So, where did it all go wrong? Was all this really worth it? He told himself that their research here would benefit many in the years to come. Perhaps, once they unlocked the mystery of the darkness of the heart, they could prevent any hearts from being corrupted by it ever again. But at what cost? He wasn’t sure if they were truly working toward eliminating the darkness, or if they were currently being consumed by it.

_No. I won’t let them turn Lea into a Heartless. I have to protect him. I have to. I have to do something._

“Well, kid. Looks like you were able to serve a purpose, after all.” Braig pointed his weapon and aimed the crosshairs directly at Isa’s face. “Bye, now.”

“Noooo!!” Lea’s voice became a loud high-pitched shriek. His worst fear was about to come true right in front of his eyes.  
  
However, instead of going out quietly, Isa went completely berserk. His fear sharpened into rage and the darkness inside of him awakened. 

Braig was definitely not expecting that outcome. “What!?” He was tossed to the side of the room, crashing into the wall.

“He’s reached his breaking point. Now he’s totally out of control,” Even stated matter-of-factly.

Aeleus looked on in amazement. “So that’s the power of darkness...”

“Isa!! What did you do to him!? What did you do to my friend!?” Lea cried. “You changed him into a monster!”

To Lea, the sight was terrifying. Isa’s eyes began to glow yellow like the Heartless and his body surged with tremendous strength. He began violently thrashing around the lab like a vicious beast.

“Stop! Make him go back to normal! Please!” Eyes stained with tears, Lea looked directly at Even. 

Even couldn’t bear to look at the boy who was now pleading with him. He briefly made eye contact with Lea, but averted his gaze and did nothing.

* * *

_It’s three against one, so Vexen does have a distinct disadvantage. If that trio manages to destroy him, it will save me a bit of trouble._

But then another figure stepped in front of him—the Replica. Sora and Vexen didn’t know the other boy was here. The Replica, meanwhile, hadn’t noticed Axel hiding in the shadows of the forest.

“Well, look who’s here,” said Axel. “Hey there, Riku.”

The Replica whirled around.

“What’s going on? You said I’d get stronger if I came here…”

“Did I now?” Axel gave him a meaningful smirk, folding his arms.

“Did you trick me?”

“Not exactly. Watch the show, Riku.” He motioned toward the battle.

In the course of their brief conversation, Sora had begun fighting in earnest. With the support of his friends, too, he was dealing Vexen serious damage.

“The kid’s no slouch, huh?”

The Replica made no reply to Axel’s undisguised admiration and only watched Sora’s ferocity in silence.

The Keyblade tore through the air and into Vexen.

“Ngh… To think you have such strength, even at the mercy of your memory…” Vexen gasped out, staggering. 

“None of that matters! Just turn Riku back to normal!” Sora had the Keyblade pointed at his throat. 

“Aw, hell. If I don’t jump in soon, things are going to get nasty,” Axel muttered, almost to himself. 

“Just _make him go back?_ You really have no idea what you’re saying. The Riku you speak of has but one fate—to sink into the darkness. And you, Sora, will share that fate! If you continue to seek Naminé, the shackles will tighten, you will lose your heart…and become no more than Marluxia’s pawn!”

“Marluxia?! What’s Naminé got to do with—?”

_If the Replica heard about the plan— If Sora heard—_

“Hah, that wasn’t in the game plan,” Axel laughed, as if it weren’t really much of a problem.

“…What d’you mean by that?” asked the Replica.

Axel gave him a nasty smile. “You go on ahead. I’ll settle things here.” 

“What —?!” 

Axel yanked his shoulder hard. He shoved him into a dark portal, to Castle Oblivion’s paths between. Inside the castle, he had the ability to transport others as well as himself. The Replica was getting in the way, after all. 

After that, Axel revealed himself, stepping out from the shadows and hurling his chakrams at Vexen. There wasn’t much power in the attacks, but a blow to the vitals would finish him off.

“Guh?!” Vexen went sprawling in the dirt.

“Yo, Sora. Did I catch you at a bad time?” Axel turned away to pin Vexen down with a chakram.

“Ngh… Axel… Why…?”

“I came to stop you from talking too much…by eliminating your existence, that is.” 

Vexen squirmed on the ground, desperately pleading to Axel, “No… Don’t…”

_We Nobodies have no hearts. Only our memories. Ever since the day I stepped inside that castle, the memories I’ve acquired have caused me nothing but misery._

“We’re Nobodies. We have no one to be—we just are. But now you don’t have to _be_ at all. No more existence, no more memories. You’re off the hook. Aren’t you happy?”

Axel didn’t seem to be paying attention to Sora and the others. He only looked at Vexen. He stretched out his hand, wreathed in flame. A terrifying smile formed on his lips.

_After the battle with Sora, Vexen has hardly any strength left. Destroying him will be almost too easy._

“Don’t… No, please don’t…! I don’t want to—”

“ _Now_ you can tell me I don’t respect my elders. Goodbye.”

Axel’s fire engulfed him. Vexen let out a howl of anguish, though it was only a moment before flames consumed him and he vanished entirely.

 _Nobodies leave nothing behind when they’re snuffed out... Maybe s_ _omeday, me or Saïx will be erased in the same way..._

“What are you—? What _are_ you people?!” Sora demanded. He seemed horrified.

Axel put his hands on hips and looked away. He couldn’t face Sora. “Hmm. Not sure. I wonder about that myself.” With that, Axel disappeared himself.

* * *

Axel walked through the long corridors of the castle. Normally, he wouldn’t bother walking places like this. But he needed time to himself.

 _No turning back now…_ _I’m pretty sure it was fine to eliminate Vexen. I was just following orders._

But there was something else gnawing at him. Was it guilt? No. It was something else.

Sora’s words echoed in his mind. 

_“What are you—What_ are _you people?!”_

_I don’t have an answer for that. Who am I? What have I become? Sora’s reaction. Makes me realize how...different I am. Am I still Lea anymore? I really don’t know._

_There was a time when...I was the same as Sora. As Roxas. But is that still who I am? I’m not sure. What do I want? What am I trying to do here?_

_“None of that matters! Just make Riku go back to normal!”_

_Sora was fighting Vexen for Riku’s sake. He just wanted his best friend to go back to normal. Sora’s lucky. That Replica who hates him isn’t Riku. The real Riku is desperately looking for him right now. When Sora meets Riku again, he’ll be the same. He’ll still be the best friend Sora remembers._

_Wish I could say the same. I don’t have a single friend in this place. All these people on my side—and his and the organization’s side… But I don’t know if I can say that we’re really on the same side._

_Do I really care about the politics of this organization? No. I’m just doing it...for him. For the friendship we used to have._

_“Memory can be a cruel thing. In its silence, we forget, but in its obsession, it binds our hearts.”_

_That friendship’s just an illusion, though, isn’t it? Just like Sora and that Replica’s feelings for Naminé. Those feelings are just an illusion created from my memories._

_Shards of emotion, fragments of memory. So alike…but they’re completely different things. Even if we can hold on to a few fragments of memory, we can’t have the smallest shard of emotion. Memory...is cruel._

_“We’re Nobodies. We have no one to be—we just are. But now you don’t have to_ be _at all. No more existence, no more memories. You’re off the hook.”_

_Nostalgia… And memory. We are the ones who lost their hearts—the ones who are no one. Nobodies. Not light nor darkness—we live in the twilight._

_It was more than just an order I was following back there. I was letting out the hatred and emptiness I feel inside me. Or at least, the hatred and emptiness I feel in my memories. It seems like those are the only memories I have left inside me now. Even if I eliminate the rest of these guys...it won’t make things go back to how they were._

Axel stopped outside the crystal ball room and took a deep breath.

 _Why are we here? What are we doing? No—why am_ I _here?_

Still asking himself that question, he opened the door.

“Nice work, Axel. I say good riddance to that blabbermouth!” Larxene greeted him.

He ignored her and approached the castle’s boss. “Marluxia… You sent Vexen to test Sora’s strength, didn’t you?” 

Marluxia declined to answer.

“Not just Sora’s. Yours, too.” Larxene leaned up against Axel, acting much too familiar. “We weren’t sure if you actually had it in you to take out a fellow member.” She walked over and put her hand on Axel’s shoulder. “Well, I guess you did! It’s time to join up. With the three of us, taking over the Organization will be a cinch!” 

_Seriously…? You think that little of the Organization and me?_ Axel shrugged. “So that’s where Sora comes in, huh?” 

“Of course! He wants to see Naminé, so why don’t we just let him have what he wants?”

That got a reaction from Marluxia—a cruel smile as he ambled over to the corner.

Naminé had been listening and looked up at him, clutching her sketchbook tightly.

“Rejoice, Naminé,” said Marluxia. “The time is near for you to meet the hero that you’ve been longing for.” 

Naminé’s shoulders tensed when he said her name. She didn’t look up when she spoke, her voice tiny and faint. “I’m…glad.” 

Larxene finally disentangled herself from Axel and gave Naminé a cheerful bit of advice. “But we’re warning you, you’d better not do anything to betray Sora’s feelings. Understand, little one?”

“…I understand.”

“All you need to do is merge the layers of Sora’s memories and bring his heart closer to you,” said Marluxia. Then he flicked a sidelong glance at Larxene, and the two of them disappeared from the room. 

“Sora... Even if you come for me—what then?”

“Naminé…” Axel said softly.

She didn’t stir.


	6. Days 26 - 49: Terminated

It was the 26th day.

Saïx woke up at dawn, as usual and went to the Grey Area, like he always did.

Not long after he took his usual spot, several other members arrived in the lobby, awaiting their mission assignments. Demyx and Xigbar were already there when suddenly, three Dusks appeared.

“Oh, right. The others weren’t keeping in touch, so you sent those Dusks to Castle Oblivion to figure out what’s happening,” Xigbar said with quite a bit of interest.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve been wondering what's been goin’ on there,” Demyx added.

“Report.” Saïx stared at the Dusks, which moved around him in their usual slithering manner.

Demyx was confused. “Uhhh... so where’s the message?”

“Shhh.” Xigbar put a finger to his lips. “Saïx is the only one who can hear their voices,” he whispered.

Demyx raised an eyebrow and looked over at Saïx, who was totally expressionless like always. “Uh…are you for real? They’re actually _talking_ to him right now?”

Xigbar folded his arms and grinned, making him look just a bit sinister. “Yep. Only him. Not even Xemnas can hear the voices of the Dusks. It’s why Saïx is so valuable to him.”

“But why only him?”

“I guess Saïx is just more similar to the lesser Nobodies than the rest of us.” Xigbar began to chuckle under his breath.

Demyx looked bewildered. “Not gonna lie, that’s...kinda creepy, man. Sheesh, I always thought that guy had a weird vibe, but this takes the cake. Better not get on his bad side,” he muttered to himself.

After the Dusks departed, Xigbar approached Saïx. “So, what’d they say?”

“There wasn’t much information. But it appears that somebody at Castle Oblivion was terminated,” he replied, as expressionless as ever.

“Whoa, seriously!?” Demyx practically shouted. “Yikes. Terminated... Talk about a bad scene. Even if it was Larxene.”

Xigbar was unfazed. “Well, that’s news, all right. Hehe.”

Not long after the news had broken, Xaldin appeared in the lobby. “Why are you all dallying here?”

“Dude! Saïx hasn't given us our missions yet! He said someone at Castle Oblivion was terminated!”

“Hm. Well, who was it?”

“I dunno, man!”

Roxas arrived in the lobby just in time to witness all the commotion.

“So you don’t understand the situation?” Xaldin’s arms were crossed, his normally stern expression even more severe.

“Hey, I just found out, like, two minutes ago myself. But we’re in serious trouble if it’s for real…” Demyx looked unusually anxious. 

“Is everything okay?” Roxas asked Xigbar, who was next to Saïx.

“Okay? As if. Word has it at least one of the members posted over at Castle Oblivion has been terminated.”

“Terminated…? But that means...” 

“Roxas, your mission. You’ll go with Xigbar to a different world— Agrabah.”

Roxas looked up, surprised to be receiving orders. But of course, it was Saïx. And he didn’t seem any different from usual.

“Is it true about Castle Oblivion…?” he asked, not looking his superior in the face.

Saïx’s response was icy. “That’s no concern of yours.”

“What about Axel?” he pressed.

Hearing that name, Saïx narrowed his eyes faintly, not even enough for Roxas to notice. He wasn’t attuned to such subtle changes.

“Who knows,” Saïx finally said. “Perhaps he is among the lost.”

“Wha…?” Suddenly, Roxas had no words. 

“Starting today, the shop is open to you,” said Saïx. “You can buy things from the Moogle with munny obtained on missions.”

Roxas said nothing.

“Did you hear me?”

“Um— Uh, yes…”

Saïx was pointing at the Moogle. “Get what you might need from the shop before setting out,” he added.

“Hehe. No sympathy at all. How heartless you are, Saïx.”

Saïx didn’t indulge him with a reaction.

“C’mon, Roxas,” Xigbar called, as if he’d been waiting hours for the rookie to finish bargaining. “Let’s get moving already.”

“Right…” Roxas followed Xigbar into the Corridors of Darkness.

* * *

Meanwhile at Castle Oblivion, Axel and Naminé watched Sora on the crystal ball.

“If you go any farther, you’ll hurt Naminé,” the Replica told Sora.

“You still want to fight?” Sora yelled, turning to face him. “But Vexen’s gone! You’re free now!”

A frown momentarily crossed the Replica’s face. “I’m protecting Naminé from you,” the Replica slowly told Sora, his sword raised. “That’s what’s in my heart.”

“We can protect her _together_!” cried Sora.

“ _I’m_ the one who’s keeping her safe! I made a promise to her!” the Replica shouted. “There was a meteor shower one night when we were little… Naminé got scared. She started crying and said, ‘What if a falling star hits the islands?’ So I told her, ‘If any falling stars come this way, I’ll protect you!’”

“You made a promise! With a toy sword!”

“What... How do you know that?”

“Because…that was the promise I made to her that night! I said I’d protect her!” Sora insisted, as if their memories could somehow be the same.

“Stop lying! You weren’t the one there that night!” the Replica snapped. 

“You’re the one who wasn’t there!” said Sora. “And she gave her good luck charm to me!”

“Her what…?”

“This!” Sora reached into his shirt and held it up—a charm exactly the same as the one he had.

“How did you get that?! Why do you— Oh. Good try, Sora.” The Replica stepped closer, his sword still raised.

“…Huh?”

“That must be a fake. I’ve got the real one right here!” the Replica shouted and took out his own charm.

“Wha…? _Two_ of them?!”

“Fakes should be destroyed!” The Replica leaped up and lunged for Sora.

“Whoa!” Sora barely managed to block the attack with the Keyblade. “It’s not a fake! Naminé gave this to me!”

“ _I’m_ the one who’s real!” As if in defiance of Sora’s certainty, the Replica pushed him back. 

“ _My_ pendant’s the real one!” cried Sora, swinging.

The Replica felt the impact from the Keyblade through his sword. It bowled him over. “…Ngh!” He winced, his shoulders heaving with huge breaths, as he got to his feet again. 

“Riku!” Sora cried.

Rejecting him, the Replica turned and ran—unaware that the pendant fell from his pocket and bounced on the cold floor.

“Wait…! Riku!” Sora began to chase after him but stopped short. There, beside his feet, was Riku’s pendant.

“Isn’t that Naminé’s good luck charm?” Donald picked it up.

“It’s just like mine… How’d he get this?”

Donald handed it to Sora, and the moment he touched it, the pendant began to shine and sparkle. It changed—and then he was holding a single card.

“It turned into a card!” Donald peered at it. The picture showed a small island surrounded by a wide blue sea.

“Gawrsh… I don’t get what’s goin’ on here at all,” said Goofy, his head tilted.

“All we can do is keep moving.” Sora began walking to the door again, his fingers clutching the card tightly.

“Wait. C’mon, Sora!” Donald shouted after him. “Something’s fishy about this!”

He paused and turned to look back slowly.

“How can the two of you have the same memory?” Goofy’s brow was furrowed in confusion. “Ya can’t both be right. Doesn’t that mean someone’s rememberin’ it wrong?”

“I’m wrong? Fine! Then don’t believe me!” Sora snapped.

“Aw, that’s not what I meant,” said Goofy. “We’re just kinda worried.”

Sora barely heard him. “Then, let me ask Naminé. That should clear it up!” Sora told them. “Look, we don’t have time to stand around in here. Let’s _go_!” He turned away from them again and kept walking, stamping his feet on the marble.

A brief silence fell. Goofy broke it, asking sadly, “Sora… What happened to ya?”

Sora didn’t even look back to shout, “What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Well, you’re gettin’ real touchy when it comes to stuff about Naminé… Isn’t it kinda weird?”

Finally Sora turned.

“After all, before we came to this castle, you didn’t even remember what her name was… And now she’s the only thing you talk about,” said Goofy, looking terribly worried.

“It doesn’t make sense. You gotta slow down and think about this stuff!” Donald added.

“Think about _what_? What’s the matter with you guys? You want me to abandon her?!”

“No, that’s not it…” Stuck, Donald looked at Goofy.

“Then, do whatever you want! You guys can lay back and take a nap for all I care!” Sora turned away from them once again. “I’m going to find Naminé!” He ran ahead to the door. 

“Sora!” Donald and Goofy both rushed to follow him.

Jiminy Cricket poked his head out. “Sora, that was no way to—”

“Keep it to yourself!” Sora cut him off and held the card up to the door.

“Hold on, Sora!” Donald caught up to him.

The door opened—but the moment Sora ran through, it closed again, right in front of Donald’s beak.

“Sora!” But he was in another world, and he couldn’t hear them anymore.

In the corner of the room with the crystal ball, Naminé sat in a chair, hunched over the big sketchbook in her lap. It was open to a page with a drawing of a little island in a blue sea.

“Naminé.” In no hurry, Axel crossed the room to stand beside her. “If you don’t stop this, no one will.”

No one else was in the room.

“You’re all that he’s got left,” he told her gently. 

Naminé hugged the sketchbook to her chest.

The crystal ball showed Sora alone on the island after leaving his companions behind.

“You’re the only one who can save him,” Axel added.

Naminé turned her attention to him.

He kept prodding her. “How many times do I need to say it? You’re the only one who can save him.” 

“But I…” Her gaze dropped again. “It’s too late.”

Axel didn’t see it that way. 

_I have to set Naminé free from Marluxia’s control—and I have to do it now. With one stroke, Marluxia will lose his control over this castle. There’s no need for a traitor to have that much power._

“You shouldn’t give up just yet,” he said. “Say, Naminé—have you noticed? Marluxia doesn’t seem to be around.” 

“What…are you saying?”

“Just that there’s no one here who would want to get in your way,” Axel replied breezily.

At last, Naminé got to her feet.

“Just make it count.”

She gave a tiny nod and then dashed out of the room.

 _She’s probably heading to where Sora is right now—to Destiny Island._ _That’s right,_ _Naminé_. _Waiting isn’t good enough. If you have a dream, don’t wait. Act. One of life’s little rules I chose to live by, back when I still had a heart._

He approached the crystal ball and peered at the image of Sora there.

_If Sora is lost… that might mean Roxas will be lost, too. And I want to stop that from happening if possible. I haven’t been tasked with terminating the hero of light myself, but I have no way of knowing what orders the others might have received. I guess we’ll see how things play out._

“Now _this_ should be interesting.”

Alone now, Axel laughed softly. And then louder. “Ha-ha-ha!”

He had to stop himself, clutching his chest in surprise. For the first time, he actually... _felt_ something when he laughed. That tingling sensation he used to have. Yes, just like back when he was human.

“Hey, wait. I’m enjoying this. You guys _are_ something else!”

He peered down at the image of Sora again. 

“Now, then! Sora, Naminé, Riku, Marluxia, Larxene! It’s about time you gave me one hell of a show!”

Grinning to himself, he touched the crystal ball, and the image changed. It showed the Replica.

“And you, Fake,” Axel murmured, gazing at the image of the Replica running across a marble hall. “You’ll set the final act in motion…”

_Naminé’s gone. Once the Replica finds her, she’ll tell him the truth, just like with Sora. If he finds out he’s just a fake, he’ll no longer look at Sora as his enemy. He’ll want to take on Marluxia and Larxene for coming up with the whole plan. That means I won’t have to get my hands dirty with the traitors. The whole castle will be under my control._

* * *

Xigbar arrived via a dark corridor, carrying Roxas in his arms. “We got a bit of a problem here,” he said casually.

“Roxas was injured?” Saïx asked, his expression unchanging.

“No, he just suddenly passed out. Coulda been just the heat.”

Xigbar took Roxas to his room and placed him in his bed.

Saïx followed.

“Think it’s got something to do with Castle Oblivion?”

Saïx seemed to consider it. “I will inform Lord Xemnas.”

“Alrighty then.” And with that, Xigbar left the room.

Saïx stared down at Roxas’s face. That was when he heard their voices again.

_We must inform you of our liege..._

Saïx left the room. When he returned with Xemnas a while later, Roxas was still fast asleep in his bed. “Naminé must have begun her work,” said Saïx, observing his slack face.

Beside him, Xemnas was doing the same. “Will he wake from this?” he asked.

“I am told he will come back to us,” said Saïx, “provided she strips the hero of all his memories.”

“Then much hinges on the affairs at Castle Oblivion,” Xemnas murmured, as if to himself, and looked at Saïx again.

“Xion has gained power over the Keyblade, as we intended,” Saïx reported dispassionately. “It can fill Roxas’s role in collecting hearts for the time being.”

They observed him in silence for a few moments, until Saïx turned toward the door.

“And the chamber?” Xemnas asked, halting him. “Have you found it?”

 _As always, we have not found the room in question. They would have told me so if we had._ “No, sir. I would say progress is slow…if we were making any to speak of.” With that, Saïx sedately walked out, leaving Xemnas alone with the sleeping Roxas.

Xemnas stared down at the boy. “So sleep has taken you yet again…”

There should have been no one there to hear Xemnas’s murmured words but the sleeping Roxas. 

Saïx, however, happened to linger at the doorway before leaving. He overheard what Xemnas said to Roxas. _Again? Does Roxas have some connection to the Chamber of Waking?_ He ignored the questions forming in his mind and left Xemnas alone with Roxas.

* * *

Still observing the Replica’s whereabouts, Axel watched on the crystal ball.

The Replica approached Naminé, who was waiting for Sora to reemerge from the 12th Floor.

“…Naminé!” he shouted, his face stark white. 

Her shoulders began shaking. “Riku… I mean… Replica…” she started. But her voice was so small that he didn’t even hear.

“You know, I— You said you hated Sora…and you never wanted to see him again… So I thought I’d keep you safe. But…he’s got the same kind of pendant that you gave me… What does it mean? Naminé, what’s going on?!” The Replica was shouting, clawing through his hair in raw confusion.

“…I…” She looked down for a moment, but then gazed straight at him. “I’m sorry.”

He fiercely grabbed her by the shoulders. “Sorry? Sorry for what?!”

“I made up your memories. They’re fake…and so are Sora’s,” Naminé told him, each word slow and deliberate. “I can control people’s memories… I’m a witch.”

“My memories…and Sora’s memories are fake?”

“I linked together the chains of your memories. I made them both. Your memories are fake, made with links from Riku’s memories… And I instilled them into the puppet that Vexen created.”

As what she told him sank in, the strength left him, and he sat down there on the floor.

“I’m sorry… I was wrong. So I have to go right now.”

“What are you talking about?!” he screamed, clutching at his head. “Naminé, tell me!”

“I don’t have time now. I’m sorry…Replica.” She turned away from him and ran.

“Naminé! Wait! Please!”

She didn’t look back.

“Naminé!”

* * *

“Xion. You should be on a mission. You have work to do. The Dusks will look after him,” Saïx said coldly.

Xion was still staring at Roxas and said nothing.

“He is asleep. Why should you trouble yourself over him?”

“...I don’t know. But... What’s wrong with him?”

“That is none of your concern. Whether you stay by his side and tend to him or not, nothing will change. Now get back to work,” he snapped.

He turned his back on her and began walking away.

Then Xigbar came into the room and poked his face between them. “There you go again, Saïx. Always so cold. Why’re you so mean to our Poppet?”

Saïx pointedly ignored him.

“They’re saying Roxas fainted or something, and he’s still out like a light,” Xigbar supplied. “No telling when he’ll wake up.”

“Huh?” Xion started.

“You worried about him?” Xigbar nodded understandingly. “Aw, sweet little Poppet. You’re so cute. Why don’t I take you to visit him later?”

“Okay…”

Xigbar looked at Saïx with a smirk.

“And who gave you the authority to—? No, I suppose there’s no harm in visiting him.” Saïx relented. “ _After_ your mission.” _It’s going to Destiny Island, the place with most of the hero’s memories. It’s best if the puppet does visit Roxas. It may cause him to wake._

Xion was surprised. For once, he wasn’t shutting her down. “What’s the assignment today?” she asked.

“Investigating, the same as yesterday. Although you’ll be going to a different world this time.” Saïx described the place to her. 

“…All right.” Xion nodded and stepped into the dark portal.

* * *

The Replica was currently pursuing Naminé. Axel figured he’d better check on Sora's whereabouts. He was also looking for Naminé and the two were bound to run into each other eventually.

“Wh… Naminé, what are you saying? What’s gotten into you?!” Sora shouted at both of the Naminés. “Weren’t we inseparable, always together? But then you had to go away... I came here so I’d never lose you again!”

Axel narrowed his eyes when Sora said that.

“Was it really me you wanted to see?”

“Of course it was! I know I’ve forgotten a lot of things in this castle, but…never anything about you!” Sora reached into his shirt and took out the good luck charm. “Look! You gave this to me, didn’t you?!”

“You still have it…” Looking at the sea, she smiled.

“No, Sora! You can’t trust me!” shouted the second Naminé.

The first one, who was looking at the silent, dark sea, turned away from him. “Think, Sora. Think just one more time about who’s most special to you. Call out to that fragment of memory that glimmers faintly deep inside you. No matter how far away the light gets, your heart’s voice will always reach it.”

For some reason, Naminé’s words resonated with Axel. He didn’t know what was so compelling about them. It _was_ similar to what he told Sora when he first met him. But still, it was more than just that.

“Who’s most special to me?” Sora looked at the pendant in his hand. “That’s easy. It’s you, Na—”

The instant he began to say her name, it glowed—and then it transformed from the yellow star of a paopu into a different charm entirely, made of five seashells tied together.

_It changed back..._

“SORA!” someone called out. Brilliant light flooded the island.

“What just happened…?” Sora looked around. The sea was its usual blue, the sky bright and clear. And he was alone on the beach. The only thing he could hear was the sound of the waves. “Who…was that? I can’t remember her…but she feels so familiar…” Sora made his way across the sand.

* * *

Xion gathered the courage to ask, “How is Roxas?”

“Still asleep,” replied Saïx. “He may never wake.”

Xion dropped her gaze.

“Haven’t you been checking in on him every day?” Xigbar inquired. “That’s sweet of you, Poppet.”

Startled, she looked up at him. She hadn’t expected to hear that from him.

“You may as well keep visiting him,” Saïx added. “There’s still a chance he might awaken.”

His response struck her as odd, too. Saïx had never said anything to her that had betrayed the faintest hint of approval.

“Now get to work,” he prompted.

“…All right.” Xion stepped into the dark portal that Xigbar had just opened. 

By the time she returned, Roxas was still in his bed, fast asleep.

Xion softly placed the seashell beside his pillow. “Roxas, I got to go to the beach today. It was so pretty…” No one had put anything else in here for him. Maybe she could bring back more. “I’ll come again tomorrow, Roxas. Okay?”

She quietly left his room.

Some time later, Saïx came to check on Roxas and looked over at his bed. “What’s all this? Do you claim to ‘worry’ about him? Wretched puppet,” he scoffed under his breath.

He stared at the shells with vague distaste as they reminded him of his past. 

* * *

Braig was giving Isa his daily meal as Aeleus approached his cell.

“So, how goes things down below?” Braig asked Aeleus.

“A few more of our subjects have been terminated.”

 _Terminated!?_ That word took the air right out of Isa’s chest.

“I see. Well, this is getting to be quite a sticky situation. I’ll have to tell the boss then.”

Once Aeleus turned and left, Isa mustered the courage to ask Braig. “Um, what did he mean by ‘terminated’? Are they...dead?”

Braig stared right at him. “Nope. Not dead. He was talkin’ about the ones who had their hearts seized by the Heartless.”

“...The Heartless?” _Those must be the creatures Lea went to fight._

“That’s right. They’re born from those who've lost their hearts, and thrive on hearts seized from others.”

The new information wasn’t offering any comfort. “What happens when someone’s heart gets stolen?”

“The hearts taken by the Heartless become Heartless themselves.”

“And the person...?”

“Gone. They vanish without a trace.”  
  
Isa’s eyes grew wide with horror. _They vanish!? That means Lea might be gone! What if I never see him again!?_

“Aww, you’re so cute, Blue. What’s the matter? You worried about your pal?” Braig patted his head through the bars.

Isa couldn’t stand it, but he kept his mouth shut. It was better to put up with his insufferable taunting if it meant he might get some information about Lea. He nodded.

“You two are really close, huh? First time I’ve seen any of the prisoners worry like this. Usually they’re the first to turn on each other. Once your own life is at stake, altruism is the first thing to go. It’s just the darker side of the human heart, if ya know what I mean,” he said with a flippant tone.

 _I don’t understand what he means. I just know I’m worried about Lea._ “Tell me. Was Lea one of the ones who’ve been...terminated?”

“Weeeell, I wouldn’t know. Don’t go down there myself unless it’s absolutely necessary. Place gives me the creeps.” He flashed an arrogant smile, then left.

Isa sat back on the bed and hugged his knees. _I knew I should have gone with him. Lea, please be okay._

* * *

Axel was still keeping an eye on things using a crystal ball.

On the twelfth floor of Castle Oblivion, Sora had emerged from the Destiny Islands of his memories. When he came to, it was in another of the same marble halls.

Naminé stood in the center of the room as if she’d been waiting for him.

“Naminé… It’s not you. The person who’s most special to me…isn’t you, is it?”

 _Here’s the moment of truth_ , Axel thought.

“…No.” Naminé shook her head, a tiny movement. “The one you really care about—the one who was always with you… It’s not me. It’s someone else.”

Sora looked down. “Who…is she?” Sora mumbled. “I can’t think of her name. If she’s so special to me, why can’t I remember?”

Naminé shook her head again sadly. “Because I went into your memories and—”

“Let me explain this.” A low voice interrupted Naminé’s.

“Riku!”

_There. The Replica has arrived. Now things should really get interesting._

“Plain and simple,” he went on. “Your memory is a train wreck. You’re not the one who’s meant to protect Naminé. That’s me! But here you are, getting led astray by all those false memories!” Riku lunged for him.

_Quite the tenacious one. I figured he'd be done fighting Sora by now..._

“No! Stop it!” Naminé screamed.

Sora grunted and blocked Riku’s blow with the Keyblade.

“I’m the one who will protect Naminé!” Riku jumped back and then went for Sora again, his sword swinging with renewed momentum.

“C’mon, Riku! We don’t have to do this!” Sora shouted, but Riku knocked him back hard.

“Sora!” cried Naminé.

“Ngh… Riku…” Leaning on the Keyblade like a crutch, Sora tried to get up, but the strength was gone from his legs.

“Looks like I win.” Riku closed in on him and raised his sword, smiling.

_He's going to finish Sora off...!_

“Riku, stop!”

He ignored Naminé’s protests and swung. “You’re through, you impostor!”

“I said STOP!” With Naminé’s shout, brilliant light filled the room. 

The Replica staggered back with a small sound of pain, sinking to the floor.

“Riku!” Sora ran to him, trying to help him up.

The Replica’s eyes were open and unseeing.

_It’s completely collapsed. Will it wake up?_

“Naminé? What did you do to him?!”

At Sora’s reproach, she could barely manage a shake of her head.

“Broke his heart,” a ruthless, feminine voice replied instead. “More like she smashed it, really.”

Sora and Naminé both whirled around to find Larxene.

_Ah. Larxene's arrived. Now things will be even more interesting. I’m sure she won’t be too happy with me._

He laid the Replica gently down on the floor. “Then—then what’s gonna happen to him?!” he demanded.

_Sora still believes with all his heart that the Replica is the real Riku, his friend._

“Ha-ha! You’re so much fun to watch,” Larxene cackled. “If it’s Riku you’re worried about, well, no need for that. Riku was never really here, you see.”

_There it is. The jig is up._

“What d’you mean?!” Sora readied the Keyblade to attack her.

Larxene only giggled at him. “Oh, you think I’m just gonna tell you? That’s too easy! My, my, what to do!”

“Enough with the games!” Sora’s patience had run out, and he took a threatening swipe at her with the Keyblade.

_I don’t think Larxene stands a chance against Sora; not after how she fared last time. So, I probably don’t have to worry._

“All right, fine, have it your way. I know it’ll just kill you to hear this…but I can live with that.” Larxene took a step closer and peered gravely into Sora’s eyes. “That thing lying there is just a puppet Vexen made as an experiment. No more than a toy. It’s laughable, really. It called you an impostor, but it was the fake all along.”

“He’s not Riku—? A fake?!”

“A fake in every possible way! It was only finished recently. How could it remember anything? It doesn’t have a past! Get it? Its memories with Naminé were just planted, not real. In other words, its obsession with protecting her was nothing but lies.” Grinning, Larxene turned to Naminé and grabbed her face. “So cute, but you do such awful things!”

Naminé hung her head.

Sora murmured her name, but she didn’t reply.

“You’re so stupid,” Larxene sighed. “Haven’t you caught up yet? That’s what Naminé’s powers are! She can go into people’s hearts, rearrange their memories—even make up new ones of things that never happened at all! The girl you’ve been trying to protect all this time is really a witch who shackles people’s hearts to fake memories!”

Sora swallowed. “Then…my memories…are all…”

“It makes me tingle to think how easily you were duped! So close—we were almost there. This was our only chance to turn the Keyblade master into our puppet! But that—that jerk Axel—he used Naminé and betrayed us!” Larxene spat viciously and stalked toward Sora. She showed her knives between her fingers.

_Heh. I’m enjoying watching her seethe._

“Don’t!” Naminé moved in front of her, arms spread wide.

“Oh?” Larxene raised her eyebrows and stared close into Naminé’s face.

“Why, it’s a little late for the witch to be growing a conscience. Last I checked, you’re the one who messed around with his memories and brought him here!”

“I know—but—”

“I should tell you, I’m in an _extremely_ foul mood. Thanks to you, all our plans are ruined!”

A high slap echoed in the hall, and Naminé went tumbling to the floor. Holding her cheek, she glared up at Larxene.

_You’d almost think she was truly feeling anger._

“Naminé!” Sora cried.

Larxene looked down her nose at him and took another step closer. “What’s this? Are you upset? You don’t even actually know her!”

“Maybe not. But still… I made a promise.” Sora adjusted his grip on the Keyblade and stared right back. “I promised Naminé that I’d keep her safe! And even if my memories are fake, the promise is real to me. That’s why… I’m going to keep it.” The Keyblade glowed in his hands.

_Well, this is a bit unexpected. I wasn't expecting Sora to still want to keep that promise, even after finding out the truth. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. But if he handles Larxene, that’ll save me some trouble._

“You’re such an idiot. There _is_ no promise and there never was! You’re just delusional!”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m still keeping my promise to Naminé!”

“Insisting on playing the hero? Whatever. If that’s the way you want it… then you’re going down alone!” Larxene shouted, poised to attack.

Naminé knelt beside the Riku Replica. Axel stared at it.

_Larxene said that Naminé smashed its heart. But there’s no way a puppet has a heart. I wonder what Naminé did to it. Is it...broken?_

* * *

“We have no use for something we can’t control. Hurry and subdue him,” Xehanort said coldly.

“Isa! Stooop!”

Dilan then struck Isa down with one swift motion of his weapon. The blow wasn’t lethal. Just enough force to knock him out.

Isa fell to the ground in a slump, his eyes open, but unseeing.

“Noo!!” In the chaos, Dilan was no longer restraining Lea. He ran towards his friend, but was unable to do a single thing.

“Well, that was unexpected. Looks like we amplified the darkness in the wrong subject. What gives?” Braig shrugged playfully.

“He was trying to protect his companion,” Xehanort responded.

Those words caused Lea’s heart to ache.

“We’ve gathered the necessary data. The experiment was a success. Will this subject be of any further value to us?”

Braig knelt down beside Isa and peered into his face. “Oh, I don’t think so. Those eyes—they’re the same as all the other previous subjects. His heart’s collapsed. I reckon he’s gonna turn into a Heartless soon. Ah well, the toy was fun while it lasted.”

_His heart’s...collapsed...?_ Lea fell to his hands and knees in despair. 

“It’s to be expected. All the subjects’ hearts collapsed, even those of the most stalwart. Only the strongest of hearts can endure such darkness. Otherwise, they break. One must embrace the darkness without fear. Then, they could control it instead of being consumed by it. This boy was obviously unable to do that. Take the subject away.” Xehanort motioned with a wave of his hand.

“Nooo!!” Tears fell from Lea’s face onto the cold marble floor.

Before long, he was back in his cell.

_I-I couldn’t do anything. I told him I’d keep him safe. He trusted me. But I couldn’t protect him. I broke my promise to him. He’s going to turn into a Heartless now. And it’s all my fault. He opened his heart to darkness because he was trying to protect me. I wish it had been me..._

Lea just wanted to disappear. He whiled the hours away ruminating, hunched over and rocking back and forth.

That was when he heard footsteps down the hall.

Xehanort was carrying a notepad and stopped in front of Isa’s cell. “No changes to Subject X?”

_Subject X?_

“Nope. Same,” Braig responded. “Still a total zombie. Kid can barely talk, doesn’t remember a single thing. Still hasn’t changed into a Heartless, though.”

Lea lifted his head. _Isa is...okay!?_

“How curious. Our master began this research by studying the heart’s connection to memory. After experimenting on my heart, my lost past began to come back to me. What about the reverse? If the subject’s memories are gone, wouldn’t his heart then collapse? In theory, without memories, he should be nothing but an empty shell.”

Upon hearing that, Lea’s heart sank. But the words “empty shell” caught his attention.

“I dunno, Xehanort. Is he really all that interesting? A defective specimen? He’s totally broken.” Xigbar’s reply was a way of testing him. He was observing his response.

“It appears that it is his mind that has shattered. The subject has no sense of self-awareness now. But his heart is intact. If it weren’t, he’d be a Heartless, like all the others. His heart was able to withstand that which his mind could not. Truly an anomaly.”

_So, his heart isn’t lost..._

The mind. That was an interesting subject to Braig. If the subject’s mind was fragmented, he wouldn’t be capable of rejecting his heart. Braig thought that maybe that was the true goal with these experiments all along. Did Xehanort really remember his goal now? To create 13 empty vessels to fill with darkness? Was the amnesia thing really just a sick joke? In any case, somewhere inside his own jumbled up mind, he must have remembered.

“Bring the empty shell to the Chamber of Repose.”  
  
“Roger that.”

Xehanort walked down the hall.

“Well, well. Looks like you’re gonna become the newest vessel. Never woulda seen that coming.” Braig began to laugh hysterically.

_Empty shell? Vessel?_ Lea couldn’t get those words out of his head. _What the hell does that mean? They said he’s alive. So why are they calling him an empty shell?_

* * *

Axel peered into the crystal ball. He didn’t know what to expect now. Donald and Goofy returned just in time, Larxene was defeated, the Replica was out of commission, and Sora was still on Naminé’s side even after learning that his promise was a lie.

Jiminy Cricket hopped from Sora’s pocket. “So, that must mean it’s been your magic making the rest of us lose our memories, too. Is there any way for us to get ’em back?”

Naminé looked at them again. “Not right away…but…if we go to the thirteenth floor, I can fix everything. But Marluxia—he…” Naminé started.

_So, Sora’s memory can be fixed, huh? Larxene is one thing, but if Sora tries to take on Marluxia, he might not succeed._

“Marluxia?” Sora echoed. 

“He controls everything in Castle Oblivion,” she said glumly.

Jiminy folded his arms. “So, was he the fella who made you tamper with all of our memories?”

“If I didn’t obey, he said, I’d be locked in this castle forever… And I’ve been alone for so long…” 

“So, ya did what he said because you were lonesome?” Goofy said, glum with sympathy. 

_Lonely...? How could she be lonely? She’s a Nobody with no heart. We Nobodies can’t feel loneliness._

Naminé covered her face. Only a tiny voice came out. “I’m so sorry…”

Donald and Goofy looked at each other, uncertain what they could do.

Beside them, with his eyebrows drawn, Sora reached out and put his hand on Naminé’s shoulder. “Don’t be. Come on, no crying.” He sounded determined, almost angry.

_Cry? How could Naminé cry? That’s impossible. Just what is she?_

Naminé looked up and wiped at her cheeks. “I know… I don’t really have any right to.”

“That’s not what I meant!” he said louder, taking her by the shoulders with both hands.

“…What?”

“It’s like this… I’m really not happy about you messing with my memories.” He let her go, the strength going out of him. “But, I mean…I can’t really get mad at you for it, either.” He paused, and quiet fell over them. “The memories you gave me… In my head, I know they’re lies, but they still feel true. Like that promise I made. I said I would protect you. That promise is still in my heart. And when you cry, it feels like it must be my fault. So please…don’t cry. Just smile for me until I get my memories back.”

_Sora..._

“Sora…” Her face was still wet with tears, but she gave him a tiny smile.

He returned it.

“Oh, brother. That was a bit much,” said Donald, tapping one webbed foot.

“It’s okay. Sora always gets like this whenever he’s around a girl!” Goofy shrugged and made an exaggerated sigh.

“Aw, cut it out! Can’t you guys forget stuff like that?!” Scowling, Sora turned to them.

“Too bad. Good friends don’t forget the good stuff!” Donald grinned.

“C’mon, guys…” Sora pouted. Then, he heard laughter.

Behind him, Naminé was quietly laughing.

“There! Just like that,” said Sora.

“Huh?” She looked confused now.

“That’s the Naminé I remember! Yeah... It made me really happy when you used to smile. I guess that was only in my fake memories, but… what I’m feeling now definitely isn’t fake. It’s real.”

“Thank you.” She smiled again sweetly.

Axel continued watching the two interact with undisguised curiosity. It was almost like _he_ was feeling something, too, deep inside his chest. He definitely shouldn’t be. But for some reason, he was. He put his hand on his chest.

Getting bashful, Sora turned back to the others and held the Keyblade high. “Okay. Let’s go!”

_I was hoping the Replica would fight Marluxia. If Sora is planning on taking him on, I had better take action._ Axel disappeared into a dark corridor.

* * *

“How’ve you been, Marluxia?”

“You have some nerve showing your treasonous face around here!” Marluxia snarled, giving Axel a deadly glare. “Some nerve!”

“Treasonous?” Axel repeated, cockily feigning innocence. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Why would you let Naminé go?! If it weren’t for you and your needless meddling, the Keyblade master would already be ours to command!” Marluxia shook a fist at him. 

“Oh, right, your big plan,” Axel drawled. “Use Naminé’s powers to rewrite Sora’s memories little by little and make him into Naminé’s lapdog so you’re controlling Sora through her. And then, along with Larxene, you take over the Organization. Am I right? I’ve got news for you, Marluxia—that makes you the traitor.”

“But you—you destroyed Vexen!” cried Marluxia, flinging his arm out in a wild gesture.

“Yeah, I got rid of him. What about it? All I did was eliminate one of us who failed to serve the Organization’s purpose.” _Failing—being useless to the organization—it’s the same as being a traitor._ “Oh, and I had to make you trust me.” Axel grinned, but his eyes glinted with a viciously cold light.

“So this whole time, your only goal was to gain proof of our plot… Is that it, then?” asked Marluxia, resigned.

“Well…you did give that order yourself. ‘You must eliminate the traitor.’” Axel spread his arms wide and summoned his chakrams. “And I always follow orders, Marluxia.”

“Hmph. If only that were true.” Marluxia sniffed derisively.

“Larxene paid the price for her disloyalty. And so will you. In the name of the Organization, I will annihilate you.”

“You can try!” Marluxia snarled and took Naminé by the arm, dragging her in front of him.

“Is that your shield? Won’t do you any good, I'm afraid. That little girl doesn’t mean anything to me. I don’t mind eliminating her as well,” Axel told him, chakrams blazing. “Ready for real oblivion, Marluxia?”

_It doesn’t make any difference to me, and I don't think it matters to the Organization, whether Naminé lives or not. It's fine to destroy anything that's in my way._

“Hmph… We’ll see about that,” said Marluxia. “Are you listening, Sora?”

And in fact, Sora came rushing in, ready for another battle.

“Oh?” Axel lowered his weapons.

“Axel says he’s willing to harm Naminé to get to me,” Marluxia shouted. “But you won’t let that happen, will you?!”

“…Axel!” Clutching the Keyblade, Sora glared at him.

_Still?_ Axel thought. _Facing Sora like this reminds me of Roxas, which makes me uneasy._

The memory of a feeling welled up within, something that had never come over him when he confronted Marluxia or Larxene or Vexen. The memory of...caring about someone.

_But those connections are no more than memories of the past—I've never cared about anyone since becoming a Nobody. What's happening? Why is Roxas so important to me? Is it because I met Ventus when I was still human? Why is Sora? Because he’s Roxas’s other?  
_

_I’m not sure. So long as I understand what the stakes are, I should have no reason to recoil from terminating someone. After all, I’m a Nobody with no heart. And yet…I don’t want to do this._

“Oh, come on now,” he said, feigning indifference. “You’re Marluxia’s puppet already?”

“You think so?” Sora retorted. “After I finish you, he’s next!”

“Heh… Look, Sora…” Axel stared hard at him. _I can’t eliminate the kid at this point. I'll just pretend to lose. Go out with a real bang._ “We’ve got more in common than you might think. I’d really rather not fight you, but…I can’t let myself look bad here!”

Axel raised his chakrams again and leaped into the air, and Sora blocked his strike with the Keyblade.

“Blizzaga!” Donald flung a spell at him, but Axel jumped back to avoid the blast of ice by a hair’s breadth.

“Why don’t you just take care of one another, then…” Still holding Naminé, Marluxia disappeared with her.

Axel raised one eyebrow. “Tch… He got away. —Well, Sora, let’s see what you can do!” He moved toward Sora in slow, even steps, as if trying to lure him to rush in.

“You’ve got a ways to go…” Blocking Sora’s attack, Axel gave him a cocky grin. “It’s funny. You really have nothing on him.”

“Him…?” Sora echoed.

Axel pushed him aside and laughed. “There’s plenty more up my sleeves for you! Take this!” The chakrams were wreathed in fire as he flung them at the trio. 

“Axel—!” Sora grasped the Keyblade and jumped at him.

Stunned by the blow, Axel fell to his knees. “…Not so bad after all.”

“We did it!” Donald pounced on Sora.

“Well, you’re better than I thought. It was worth saving you after all.” Axel smirked even as he slumped to the floor.

“Saving me? What d’you mean?”

“Sorry, I’d hate to kill the suspense.”

“Axel!” Sora shouted, but he was already fading—though the smile on his face didn’t. Then Axel was gone, leaving only a single card behind.

* * *

In the dim, gloomy chamber in one of Castle Oblivion’s basement floors, Zexion stood with his arms folded, lost in thought. “Vexen destroyed, and now Lexaeus… What’s going to become of the Organization…?”

_Sooo... Lexaeus has just fallen in combat with Riku. Well, well. He’s powerful._

“Vexen, Larxene, Lexaeus...” Smirking, Axel stepped closer. “I wonder who will be next in line...” 

Zexion frowned in distaste and spoke without looking at him. “…I thought perhaps it might be you.” 

“Me? Nah, I doubt that. You see, just before I got here, I pretended that Sora beat me to a pulp enough to make me disappear,” Axel folded his arms and went on. “So I won’t be fighting him again, at least for a bit.”

The way Axel said the words “for a bit” caught somehow in Zexion’s mind. He nearly asked what that was supposed to mean but held his tongue. There was no need to ask _him_ questions. 

“Nope,” Axel went on with a faint smile at his lips, “the next to fall will be Marluxia.” 

“Sora beat you, so there’s no way he’ll lose against Marluxia—is that what you think?” said Zexion.

“I’m saying that Marluxia tried to use Sora to take over the organization,” said Axel, as if concluding an argument. “Sora will be the one to eliminate him. I hope he moves exactly as his heart commands him. So, what about you? I thought you guys had plans for Riku.” 

It was no longer necessary to compete with Marluxia. At that, Zexion finally looked up to press him further. “Yes, we were going to set him off against the traitors... But with Marluxia gone, there will be no more need. He is nothing but a nuisance now.” 

The hint of a smile at Axel’s mouth was not a pleasant one. “Are you saying we’ll have to dispose of him? You want to go up against Riku, after he took down Lexaeus?”

“You know that is not how I do things.” With that, Zexion disappeared.

“Well, I wonder how he’ll manage that,” Axel murmured. “…Oof, I need to take a breather. My butt really hurts…” Rubbing at the sore spot from the fight, he vanished, too, leaving the dim room empty.

* * *

Axel decided to spy on Sora again. He was currently fighting Marluxia.

“So, you’ve defeated Axel. I owe you my thanks, Sora.” Marluxia was waiting for them in the center of the hall, his grip still tight on Naminé’s arm.

_Even he thinks I’ve been eliminated._

Sora stood ready to fight with the Keyblade. “Marluxia!”

He laughed under his breath. “The Keyblade’s power. How I’ve longed to make it my own… And then I will control the organization!”

_I wonder what he was planning to do once he took control. Oh, well. Sora will probably finish him off._

“Forget it! Let Naminé go!”

“Oh, but so long as I have her, you stand no chance of winning.” Marluxia shoved her away from him and smirked. “Naminé, erase Sora’s memory!”

Her eyes flew open and she turned to face him. “But if I do that—” Then, she looked at Sora and hung her head. 

“That’s right,” Marluxia crooned. “If you force out all the memories you planted there, his whole memory will be shattered—along with his heart. Just like that puppet.”

Axel’s eyes widened. _What will she do now?_

Naminé glared up at him.

“The courage in your eyes is so charming—but you can’t defy me. Who was it who took you in when you were so alone?”

Her narrow shoulders trembled.

“Well, I’d have preferred him in one piece, but he can be rebuilt—more to my liking with some time. Do it, Naminé. Erase his memory.”

“…No.” She stared straight at Marluxia, her voice unwavering. “Everything Sora knew about me was a lie. I deceived him and he forgave me. How could I destroy his heart?! I won’t do it! I don’t care what happens to me. I won’t hurt Sora!”

“In that case…” Marluxia raised his hand.

_He’s going to destroy her!_

“Do it, Naminé!” Sora cried. “I don’t care! You can erase my memory!”

“But—” Naminé looked at Marluxia and Sora in turn.

“Just do it! Erase my memories, destroy my heart—it doesn’t matter. I promised I’ll always protect you! Please, just trust me!” he yelled in earnest.

_He wants Naminé to wipe his memories!? He has no idea what he’s saying. He really could lose his heart. Is his promise that powerful?_

“Sora…” Naminé screwed up her face, her eyes filling with tears.

“I don’t need any memories to take on somebody like Marluxia!”

“That’s right! And even if Sora forgets it all, Goofy and I won’t forget!” Donald added, brandishing his wand.

“Uh-huh! Donald ’n’ me can remember everything for Sora!” Goofy winked at Naminé.

“See,” said Sora, “I’ll have all my friends’ memories, so I can piece my own together again!” Sora was shouting at Marluxia and Naminé.

Marluxia snorted derisively at Sora’s claim. “Ignorant fool. When Naminé uses her powers to erase your memory, you’ll be nothing but an empty husk! Your heart will no longer feel or care about anything! Just like that pathetic imitation of your Riku!”

_That’s right. He'll be an empty husk..._

As Marluxia was ranting, the Replica dashed in under his guard. “I wouldn’t be so sure,” he said evenly and slashed up with his sword.

The unexpected blow knocked Marluxia to his knees. “It can’t be—!”

_Well, this is an unexpected surprise. The Replica is functional, after all. But how?_

“Riku!” Sora ran toward him. The Replica didn’t turn.  
  
“No. Only an imitation.” And he pointed his sword at Marluxia again.

“You’re a shell—a husk who had everything taken! Everything!” Marluxia spat.

“What did I ever have to lose in the first place? Both my body and my heart are fake,” the Replica replied, sure of himself now. “But there’s one memory I don't want to lose—even if it was just a lie! Whether it was a phantom promise or not…I will protect Naminé!” 

_Him, too? Just like Sora, he still wants to keep the promise. Is that why he woke up? No... It couldn’t be._

“Riku…!” Sora stood beside him and likewise faced Marluxia with the Keyblade ready.

“Imbeciles…!” Marluxia got to his feet. “You would knowingly shackle your heart with a chain of memories born of lies? You would cast aside your heart’s freedom?!”

Pale pink flower petals began to swirl around them.

“You turn from the truth because your heart is weak… And you will never defeat me!” The petals took the shape of an enormous scythe in Marluxia’s hands, and he swung it at Sora and the Replica.

Sora defeated Marluxia with the Replica’s help, but it turns out that he was just a phantom. The real Marluxia was hiding deeper in the castle. Sora would have to go after him.

He turned back to the Replica and Naminé. “Riku… You protect Naminé.” He was smiling as he said that. As if he trusted the Replica with anything.

The Replica had to look away from Sora, and his voice was small when he said, “You don’t…mind?”

_He’s nobody—his memory is fake, his very existence is a sham. A being with no self. But Sora is talking to him as if they’ve always been friends. It must be tough._

“Should I?” Sora only grinned mischievously.

“All right.” The Replica turned to Naminé.

“Don’t forget your promise,” Naminé said to Sora.

“I know. I’ll keep it!” Sora nodded, determined.

“Sora! C’mon!” said Goofy. The trio stood in front of the door, and Sora held up the card.

_It’s all up to Sora now. I wonder if he’ll be able to defeat Marluxia. In any case, I can still make use of the Replica._

The Replica and Naminé stared at the door in silence.

“Sora will be okay, right?” she murmured, barely audible.

The Replica turned to her. “He’s your hero, isn’t he? If he made a promise to you, there’s no way he’ll lose.”

_All he wanted was to be her hero. He truly seems like a real boy with a heart._

“…You’re really kind, Riku.” Naminé gave him a shy smile.

It was a smile he knew from his memories—the same as when she’d thanked him and given him the good luck charm. That memory and those feelings…none of them were real. He didn’t want to look at Naminé’s smile anymore. He turned away.

“Thank you, Riku…no. I mean, thank you Replica.”

He said nothing, only staring into space. 

_I almost feel bad for him._

* * *

After a while, Sora finally returned.

“Sora!” Naminé cried as he practically fell through the door.

Axel grinned at the crystal ball. _So, it looks like he was able to beat Marluxia, after all._

“Hi, Naminé.” Sora smiled a little bashfully and looked back at the door. The Keyblade began to shine. “Huh?!” It moved of its own accord to point at the door. Then, a beam of light shot from it and materialized into a Keyhole.

“What’s going on?!” Donald shouted, and just then they heard a clicking sound—the Keyhole being locked. The light faded.

“Gawrsh, what was that…?” said Goofy.

Sora shrugged. “I don’t know what’s happening anymore, either.”

The Replica watched in a mild daze.

“You okay, Riku?” asked Sora.

At the concern in his voice, the Replica looked up with a gasp. His answer came slowly. “I’m not Riku. I’m a fake. I can’t remember why I was created or where or when… All that’s inside of me is memories of you and Naminé.” He shook his head. “But I know they aren’t real.”

“Say, Naminé, can’t you use your magic to get Riku’s memory back to normal?” Goofy wondered.

“Well…I…” she started, but then only hung her head miserably.   
  
_He’s just a Replica created by Vexen. He has no normal memories._

“It’s all right,” said the Replica. “I’ll deal.” He started walking away, leaving behind Sora and his friends. He had no idea where to go. But he didn’t want to be there.

_The Replica is leaving. Maybe I can talk to him again._

“Wait!” cried Sora.

The Replica paused.

“Who cares if someone else made you?” Sora protested, well-meaning to the end. “You’re you and nobody else. You have your own heart inside of you. Those feelings and memories are yours and yours alone. They’re special!”

“You’re a good guy, Sora. I don’t have to be the real Riku to see how real your feelings are. That’s enough for me.”

_All he wants is to be real. Maybe he isn’t much different from us Nobodies._

“Riku!” Sora was calling after him at the top of his lungs, but the Replica didn’t say anything more. He fled from their kindness at a run.

Unable to follow the Replica, Sora was back at Naminé’s side.

“So Riku left, huh…?” Goofy said.

“Yeah.” Dejected, Sora nodded, looking at Naminé meaningfully.

Donald spoke up instead. “Can we get our memories back?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Just because you can’t remember something doesn’t really mean that it’s gone.”

“What d’ya mean?” asked Goofy, puzzled.

“When you remember one thing, another memory comes back with it, and then another and another, right? Our memories are connected. All those fragments of memory are linked together like they’re in a chain…and that’s what binds our hearts and makes up each of us.”

Something about what she said stood out to Axel. _Fragments of memory keep our hearts together and make up who we are? Special Nobodies have all our memories. What we’re still lacking is a heart. But what is the connection between memories and the heart?_

“I don’t really erase any memories—I just take apart the links and rearrange them. So you still have all your memories.”

Jiminy Cricket popped up from Sora’s pocket. “Then you can put ‘em back together?”

“I can… But first, I have to take apart the chains of the memories that I made,” Naminé explained. “After that, I have to gather up the fragments of memories scattered across each of your hearts and reconnect them. It might take a while.” She lowered her eyes, burdened by the weight of what she’d done—but then a smile lit her face. “But I think it’ll work.”

_So, looks like Sora is gonna be all right._

Axel left via a dark corridor.

* * *

The Replica stopped running and stared hard at his feet.

“Hey there, Riku.”

He looked up. “…Axel.”

“Say, don’t you want to become the real thing?” said Axel, coming toward him with a smirk.

The Replica silently nodded. He had accepted Axel’s offer, and now they were headed down into the bowels of Castle Oblivion.

_Vexen’s the one who devised the scheme with the Replica, and I still don’t entirely understand whether it succeeded or failed. But I figure there's still some use for this puppet. Given the right memories, the Replica can mimic the powers of the original._

_Which means that if he were implanted with somebody else’s memories, he would, hypothetically, gain other powers. Somebody’s—or maybe even a Nobody’s. If it's strong enough, it could even take out Xemnas himself and overthrow the organization._

The Replica didn't see the sinister smile forming on Axel's face.

_We special Nobodies—the members of the Organization—are still controlled by the memories of our time as humans, after all._

“Isn’t it about time he was getting back?” Axel wondered, referring to Zexion.

The Replica had no response.

“So do you have any idea _how_ you absorb other people’s powers?”

“…I devour their strength by defeating them. That’s what Vexen said.”

“Devour, huh…?” _That doesn’t tell me anything about how it works._

But just then, the space in front of them warped. Right on cue, Zexion appeared—all but done in by Riku.

“What…what _is_ he?! No one’s _ever_ taken in the darkness the way that he can! It’s absurd…!” Collapsing to all fours, Zexion pounded his fists on the floor.

_I've never seen such an emotional display from him. Well, this’ll be the first and last time._

Finally, Zexion looked up and noticed the Replica. “Wh—? Riku?!” He shrank back in fear.

“Hey there.” Axel stepped out from the shadows.

“Oh… Oh yes. Vexen’s replica, of course,” Zexion said with palpable relief. “Perhaps we can use this Riku to defeat the real one… Axel?”

The Replica stared down at him, showing nothing.

“Say, Riku…” Axel began. “It must be rough, knowing you’re a fake. Wouldn’t you like to be real?”

The Replica slowly turned to face Axel and nodded. “Yes.”

_That’s right… He wants to be real—to become Riku. To truly exist._

“Well, it’s simple. All you need is power that the real Riku doesn’t have,” Axel explained with a smirk. “If you get that, you can be a new person—not Riku or anybody else. You won’t just be a copy of someone. You’ll be your _own_ self.”

“Axel! What are you telling him?!” Zexion tried to scurry away across the floor.

“You know, he’s as good a place to start as any.” Axel gestured toward Zexion with his chin.

“You can’t do this!” Zexion cried, not bothering to try to hide his panic.

Axel didn’t even seem to hear. He put an arm around the Replica’s shoulders and smiled brightly. “So sorry, Zexion. Hm... You just found out way too much.”

“No… Stay back!” Zexion pleaded, desperately edging away, and the Replica brought down his sword.

_Zexion could end Sora’s—or rather, Roxas’s—continued existence, not to mention he's in the way of my shared goal._ _We can’t have Xemnas telling anyone else his secrets._ _And I already decided to do anything to accomplish what I set out to do, that day. But it isn’t only Zexion. Marluxia stood as another obstacle, and the Replica in front of me is also no more than a pawn. The day will probably come when I have to choose between our goal and this inexplicable thing I feel toward Roxas._

“NO!” Zexion’s scream faded into nothing, swallowed up by the darkness.


	7. Days 50 - 52: Chain of Memories & Day 71: Reunion & Day 72: Change

Axel turned to the Replica. “Well? Do you feel any different, Riku?”

He looked pensive, then shook his head. “No. I’m still empty.”

_The fact that he’s unsatisfied works to my advantage. As long as he can still be convinced to fight, I can use him. But he needs more power._

Axel’s eyes narrowed.

_Riku. With the dark power inside him, he was able to take out even Lexaeus. He’s the only one with enough power to take on Xemnas. If the Replica defeats the real Riku, he’ll have that power._

“Well, in that case, there’s only one thing you can do.”

The Replica looked at Axel desperately. “What’s that?”

“If you find the real Riku and fight him, maybe something will change.”

“Where is he?”

Axel approach crystal ball and touched it. It showed them Riku’s whereabouts.

* * *

“You’re not the true Ansem. I can smell it.”

Ansem narrowed his eyes.

“The Ansem in my heart smells darker. Nastier. But your scent…just isn’t that.” Riku took a deep breath, staring hard at whatever stood before him wearing Ansem’s shape. “I finally understand. You’re the one who guided me when it began. You came to me pretending to be Ansem, and you gave me the card… to make me face the darkness.”

_What is he talking about? He's...a fake Ansem?_

“That is correct.” As the man spoke, some kind of mist rose around him. Then, it slowly dispersed—to reveal someone else. The man’s face was swathed entirely in red wrappings like bandages, leaving nothing of his expression visible, except for one eye that peeking out. “DiZ, or so I am known. I have been watching you all along.” The man’s voice was deep and even.

_DiZ..._

“Really,” said Riku. “Who are you? And what do you want from me?”

DiZ folded his arms. “For you to choose.”

“Choose?” Riku echoed.

“You are special. You exist between light and darkness… You stand in the twilight. You must meet Naminé and then choose.”

_Who the heck is this guy? What’s his connection to Naminé?_

“Naminé?” Riku couldn’t recall hearing that name before. “Who’s that?”

“You will soon know.” With that, DiZ was gone.

“Hey—wait!” Riku ran forward, but there was no trace of him. “…Who is Naminé?” For a moment, he hung his head in confusion, but then stood tall and started walking again.

* * *

“Well, there’s our answer,” said Axel. “If you go to the place Vexen died, you’ll find the real Riku.”

The Replica looked at the floor. “If I defeat the real thing, I won’t have to be just a shadow any more. I’ll be my own self.”

“Maybe so.” Axel was smiling deviously. “There’s only one way to find out.”

_I can’t afford to start questioning myself now. Without power, you don’t survive long in the organization. Without power, you lose everything important to you. I need to gain power to accomplish my goal. And if getting the Replica to destroy Riku is the only way to do it, then so be it. I made up my mind that day. I’ll do whatever it takes. Anyone who gets in my way, I destroy. And right now, Riku is in the way._

“All right.” The Replica turned his back and walked away, headed to Twilight Town.

After he was gone, Axel decided to check on Sora. If Riku was looking for Naminé, he’d probably be headed to where Sora was. 

* * *

On the thirteenth floor of Castle Oblivion, Sora, Donald, and Goofy each went into a pod shaped like a white flower bud.

Axel knew about those pods. They themselves were not memory-altering devices. Their only function was to keep their inhabitants asleep, and Naminé needed Sora and his friends asleep to link their memories back together.

“All of this may have started with a lie, but… I really am glad that I got to meet you, Sora.”

He turned, smiling at her. “Yeah. Me too. When I finally found you, and when I remembered your name… I was so happy. The way I felt wasn’t a lie.”

She smiled back. “Good-bye.” 

“No, not good-bye!” said Sora, determined. “When I wake up, I’ll find you. And then there won’t be any lies. We’re gonna be friends for real. Promise me, Naminé.”

She had to shake her head. “You’re going to forget making that promise.” 

“But even if the chain of memories comes apart, the fragments don't disappear, right?” he insisted. “So the memory of our promise will always be somewhere inside my heart. That’s what I think.” He held out his pinkie finger. 

“Okay…you’re right. It’s a promise.”

“Yeah!” Sora held out his pinkie finger to her.

She linked it with her own. “Promise, Sora?”

“I promise.”

Sora stepped carefully into the pod.

“Hey, Sora,” said Naminé, as he settled in the pod. “Some of your memories’ fragments are deep in the shadows of your heart, and I won’t be able to find all of them. But don’t worry… You made another promise to someone you could never replace.”

_The promise to Princess Kairi. It’s a powerful thing._

“That is your light. The light within the darkness. If you remember that person, all the memories that sank into darkness will come back,” she told him, smiling gently as he began to drift off.

“Another promise…” 

“Look at your special keepsake. I changed its shape when I changed your memory—but when you remembered that person, it went back to the way it was.”  
  
Sora looked down at the lucky charm.

“See? Your memories are coming back. Don’t worry. You might forget about me…but we made a promise. So I can come back. One day, the promise we made will become the light that brings us together. Till then, I’ll be in your heart… Forgotten but not lost. Because memories are never really lost.”

Axel seemed transfixed on every word Naminé said to Sora. _Memories are never really lost..._

* * *

Saïx stood in the Grey Room listening to the Dusks’ report.

“So, learn anything new about our old pals?” Xigbar asked playfully.

Saïx’s expression was grave. “Something has gone wrong at Castle Oblivion. Word is that none of those we dispatched survived.”

Braig’s usually carefree demeanor shifted momentarily. “ _All_ of them? Are you sure? They shouldn't have all gone down...”

Saïx sighed. “The news came in fragments. I still know too little to extract the truth.”

Amid the banter, Roxas entered the lobby, then meandered over to Saïx.

“Hey, there’s our sleepyhead,” Xigbar called to him. “Did you hear the entire Castle Oblivion team was wiped out during your beauty nap?”

“Huh…?” Roxas tried to ask more, but the words wouldn’t come out. 

“Ah, you’re awake,” said Saïx.

Roxas looked up at him. “Everyone at Castle Oblivion was… wiped out? Is that—?”

Saïx crisply cut him off. “We’re investigating what might have befallen them.”

“‘Them’!? How many? You still don’t know anything?” Roxas pressed.

“I know that I don’t owe you any explanations. Now, it’s time you got back to work. You’ll be on your own for a while. Whatever happened, the fact is we’re understaffed.”

Roxas could tell that Saïx was in a very bad mood. Even worse than usual. He was afraid to ask anymore questions.

“Go on,” said Saïx. “You have missions to catch up on.”

Roxas then he stepped into the corridors, the same as any other day.

* * *

Axel watched the Replica confront and fight Riku.

“I thought finding some new strength would let me become someone else—someone who isn’t a copy of you! But nothing changes… I’m still empty!” the Replica cried, pushing Riku back hard.

Riku crashed into the gate and fell.

“Everything about me is borrowed. As long as you’re around, I’ll never be more than a shadow!” Breathing hard, the Replica lunged for Riku again.

“So what? I’m me,” said Riku. “And I won’t let you defeat me!” He parried and tackled the Replica to the ground. And then he had Soul Eater at the Replica’s throat.

_In the end I guess he wasn’t strong enough. Well, the real Riku has Xehanort’s Heartless inside of him. I should have seen this coming..._

“So…it’s over…” the Replica grated.

“It will be if you keep going.”

“Hmph… Death doesn’t frighten me,” the Replica said stonily. “Good riddance to a phony life. My heart was never real. Even what I’m feeling now is probably all fake.” The Replica smiled faintly and light began to surround him.

_Is he really feeling something? Or is it just an illusion created by his memories? A puppet shouldn't be able to feel._

“What are you feeling?” Riku asked, staring down at the copy of himself.

“What happens when a fake like me dies? Where will my heart go? Maybe it’ll just fade away.” The Replica sadly gazed up at the sky. 

Those words were difficult for Axel to hear. It reminded him of the fate awaiting him. Puppets, like Nobodies, had no hearts. When they disappeared, they wouldn't ‘go’ anywhere. You needed a heart for that.

“It’ll go somewhere,” said Riku. “Maybe to the same place as mine.”

The Replica’s mouth curled in a bitter smile. “Tch. A perfect copy to the very end. That’s… okay.” But as he said that his voice seemed serene. 

Axel watched as his body became enveloped in light and vanished.

_He’s gone..._

Riku picked up Soul Eater where he’d let it fall and looked back behind him. The gate was open as if to invite him in. Slowly, almost cautiously, Riku stepped through.

_So, I guess Riku is going to meet Naminé now. And he’ll finally reunite with Sora, too. Maybe... things are better this way._

Axel solemnly turned and walked into a dark portal.

* * *

Xion returned from her mission. She had to declare how many Heartless she had defeated—and how many hearts she had collected for Kingdom Hearts.

Saïx was none too pleased as he wrote the number into his report. “So you were unable to gather any hearts?”

“…I finished them off with magic.” The Keyblade wouldn’t come to her at all, but maybe she could get away with hiding that fact.

“Exactly what do you think the Keyblade _is_?”

“What is it…? Um, it’s a key for gathering hearts…”

“Precisely,” said Saïx. “And you need to appreciate its significance. If you cannot wield the Keyblade to its purpose, you wouldn’t even be in a position to rank among the Organization’s lowest. Keep that in mind and make sure to eliminate Heartless _with the Keyblade_.”

“…I see. I’ll be more careful,” she replied timidly, then she left to her room.

After Xion left, Xigbar arrived in the lobby. “You seem a bit irritable lately.”

Saïx did his best to ignore him, but the scar on his forehead twitched.

“It’s a shame about Axel, huh?” He was smirking.

He heaved a human-like sigh as he stared out the window of the lobby at the pitch-black sky. _I still don't know what happened over at Castle Oblivion. I doubt Axel would be among those lost, but I suppose I must plan for the worst._

* * *

Braig was delivering Isa’s food to his cell.

Once again Aeleus approached him. He briefly looked over at Isa but said nothing.

“So. What’s going on now?” Braig asked him.

“There was some kind of incident below,” Aeleus stated impassively.

Braig walked over towards Aeleus and the two conversed, but they were too far away for Isa to hear what they were saying.

When Braig returned, Isa was too nervous to make eye contact with him. “...What happened?” 

“Word is some of the prisoners turned on one another.” Braig didn't seem to be bothered at all.

Isa’s face scrunched into a frown. “Why? I don’t understand...” _Wouldn’t they have a better chance of survival if they stood together?_

“Darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart.”

Isa looked bewildered.

“Listen, people are inherently selfish,” he said with a shrug. “At the end of the day, you can’t rely on anyone but yourself. People are only ‘good’ if it’s easy and convenient for them. But once the going gets rough, no one will be there to look out for you. It’s every man for himself.” He looked directly at Isa. “Only the strongest survive.”

That explanation made no sense to Isa. _Even if someone is weak, it doesn’t mean they have no right to exist. How could one of Ansem’s guards say that? I thought Ansem was a wise sage who cared about all people..._

“Sorry to tell ya, but that’s the rule on every world. One of the laws of the universe, you could say. And the universe doesn’t care one bit about you or me. That’s just how it goes.”  
  
Isa didn’t know what Braig meant by “every” world. Was there more than one? Whatever the case, it didn’t matter. “Not everyone thinks like that!” _I don’t! And I know Lea doesn’t, either! That’s why we wanted to save that girl!_

“Oh, but they do. You only think that ‘cause you’re young and naive, kiddo, but one day you’ll see. People only care about those who provide something useful to them. Once they stop needing you, loyalty goes out the window. Even those closest to you can just as easily betray you.” He was picturing the face of a certain someone. “You think you know everything about them, but just like that, you’ll see how fast they can change once a better deal comes around.”

 _That’s not true_ , Isa wanted to say, but the words didn’t escape his mouth. He wasn’t so sure at this point.

“Anyways, it looks like most of them have been wiped out at this point.”

Isa jolted. “What—? Noo!”

“Sorry, Blue. Looks like you’ll be coming with us. Gotta put you to good use now that we’re short-handed.” He opened the cell and handed him a black robe. “Here. Put this on. You’re gonna need it.”

As the pair walked down the long spiral stairway, Isa was still grappling with what he was told. _Lea might already gone. I may never see him again._ His fear became greater with every step he took.

When Ansem first began his experiments on the darkness of the heart, he and his apprentices conducted their research from a small research facility in the center of town. After Ansem took Xehanort under his wing, he built an enormous laboratory underneath the castle at Ienzo’s direction. The basement lab was connected to the other lab in the town center by the underground tunnels.

It was here in the underground tunnels—in one of the mining shafts—that Isa was taken. Orange pipes lined the purple granite walls as steam sometimes emerged. Blue crystals were strewn about. The cave-like area had a somewhat somber atmosphere for some reason.

Braig knew things would be bad if the Heartless managed to reach the main lab in the center of town. “Your instructions are to eliminate Heartless from this area. Don’t wander too far. We’ll be back for you later.”

And with that, Isa was left all alone. _There’s nobody else here..._ _I’m not sure if_ _I’ll ever see Lea again._ There was a tightness deep in his throat, like it was being squeezed. It was painful.

Just then, several Heartless popped out of nowhere right in front of him.

“Ahhh!”

They began to gang up on him.

“Stop! Get away from me!” He tried swatting them away with his hands, but they had him cornered and swarmed him.

_This is probably it for me..._

* * *

It was the Day 71st day. No new information on the Castle Oblivion team had come.

Xemnas had a secret laboratory hidden away behind the Round Room. There were several places scattered throughout the castle which might have been facilities of some kind or another, but only members of the Organization could enter this laboratory. Xemnas was not alone there.

“Something’s fishy here,” Xigbar remarked, sprawled on a couch at the edge of the room.

“What, exactly?” Xemnas asked.

“The kid annihilated everyone over at Castle Oblivion? As if.”

Xemnas was occupied writing something, but at this, his hand paused.

“They goaded the hero into taking out Marluxia, standard operating procedure,” said Xigbar. “Did you give the order?”

“Yes, I did. What do you want to know?”

“I’m saying they shouldn’t _all_ have gone down. It kinda looks like the big plan went off the rails, because terminating half our original members definitely wasn’t part of it. Was it, Xehanort?”

“That’s a name I haven’t heard in a good while…” Xemnas had to smile at it, his mouth twisting. It was his name when he had been human, an apprentice to a certain man—and when he had fought _them_.

“Yeah, well, about those unplanned terminations…” Xigbar kept a level stare trained on him. “I have to wonder if this involves you-know-who.”

“Whether or not that is true, we have at least two Keyblades at our disposal,” said Xemnas. “Which means the plan is proceeding smoothly. There is no need to alter it simply because of a decrease in numbers.” With that, he turned back to his documents and resumed scribbling.

Xigbar only shrugged and disappeared.

* * *

Axel was lying on one of the hard uncomfortable sofas in Castle Oblivion.

“That intruder in red. Who the heck was he? Zexion is good at picking up on intruders. I wonder if he ever noticed his presence and sent a report back. Well, I guess I’ll just pretend I didn’t see him. And if worse comes to worse, I can always blame things on him. He did leave with Naminé and was working with Riku and Mickey, after all.”

Axel sighed heavily.

“As for the other mission, I give up. I knew it wasn’t gonna be easy, but I can’t find that damn chamber. Trying to search all the rooms here would take an eternity. And I’ve seen no trace of the other Replica at all. Guess it’s time to report back. I’m not really in any hurry, though.”

He pictured the face of the person he’d be reporting to.

“More specifically, I’m really not in any hurry to see Saïx. Maybe that’s why I stayed here for so long without reporting back in. He’s gonna be so mad once he finds out that Naminé is gone and I couldn’t find that chamber. Not that he can really be mad, but still...”

He was staring blankly at the ceiling.

“They’re probably wondering what happened here. I probably shoulda sent some Dusks to let them know I’m okay. But for some reason, I just didn’t feel like it. Not sure why. Yeah, Saïx is definitely gonna be unhappy with me.”

He sat up on the sofa.

“Ugh. I’m talking to myself. It must be this damn castle. That and being alone for so long. It’s really getting to me. I need to get outta here.”

He stood up and opened a dark corridor.

* * *

He reappeared in Twilight Town. Station Heights could be seen in the distance. He smiled as he took in the familiar scenery.

_It’s nice to be back here. The atmosphere in this place is so much better than Castle Oblivion._

He walked through the usual streets at a leisurely pace.

When he turned the corner, he saw Roxas standing in the alleyway after finishing off some Heartless.

“Yo! Roxas.”

Roxas whirled around to face him.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s good to see you.” Axel strolled toward him in no particular hurry. “Although, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he laughed.

Roxas fumbled for words. “Axel... They told me the whole team at Castle Oblivion was annihilated…”

“Not me. I’m tough,” said Axel, puffing out his chest.

But something felt off to Roxas. Axel probably wasn’t as strong as he said he was. Or was he? “You had me worried,” he admitted.

“Worried?” Axel laughed. “That’s a feat, considering you haven’t got a heart to feel with.”

Roxas had to laugh, too—a little bit. He really was glad that Axel wasn’t gone. Now that they were both here, they could hang out at their usual spot, and… “I’ll go buy us the ice cream!”

Roxas took off at a run.

* * *

 _He must have meant for me to wait at the usual spot,_ thought Axel, and he headed off first to the clock tower.

_Now that the dust has finally settled, I’m the only one to return from Castle Oblivion. I wonder if the other members are going to be suspicious of me. That would be fine—except that I lost track of Naminé, Sora, Mickey, Riku, and the other intruder. There are too many incomprehensible rooms in that castle. And I still haven’t found that chamber._

“Axel!” Roxas called.

When he turned, he saw Roxas grinning with an ice cream bar in each hand, out of breath after a sprint.

Once again, Axel marveled at the resemblance to Sora. He took an ice cream bar and grinned back. “Your treat today, huh?”

“Well, it’s a special day.” Roxas sat down beside him.

_When he laughs, the similarities are even more pronounced. Although I didn’t actually seen Sora laugh back there._

_I don’t get it. Nobodies like myself and Roxas are created in the instant the original person becomes a Heartless. Which means it’s basically impossible to be acquainted with both a Nobody and their Other._

_I only have one basis for comparison— the single person I’ve known as a human and remained close to as a Nobody. It’s even more unlikely, in fact impossible, for his Nobody and Other to meet at the same time. By nature, Nobodies and their human Others don’t coexist. According to everything we know about Nobodies, Isa stopped existing as soon as Saïx was born._

Axel sighed quietly. 

_And yet, Roxas is right here. It’s not just the Keyblade that makes him special. He exists at the same time as his Other. That goes against all the laws we know. I’ve heard the Keyblade embodies the will of the worlds. Are the laws of the universe and its_ will _two different things?_

Lost in thought, Axel was staring at the unique Nobody’s profile, which Roxas eventually noticed. “What? Do I have ice cream on my face?”

“Nah, it’s just… I gotta check in with the boss. I know he’s gonna let me have it and yell at me!” Brushing off his distracted mood as anxiety over work, he bit into his ice cream.

“So you haven’t gone back to the castle yet?”

“Hm? Oh, no…” Axel shook his head and watched the sunset. _I wasn’t away for all that long, but it feels like ages_.

“Then why’d you come here?” Roxas wondered.

 _Because before reporting to the castle, before seeing anybody else, I wanted to have ice cream here with you. Because I wanted to see if you really are Sora’s Nobody._ _I’m not sure which reason was more conscious on my part. But I'm hesitant to confess the feelings I have right now._

“Guess I needed some time to sort out my feelings first. And I need to steel my heart for the scolding I’m about to get,” he shrugged.

Roxas nudged his shoulder. “I thought you said you didn’t have a heart.”

They laughed. _This is such a strange sensation. Almost as if… Yes, it’s like being human again. Like something loud buzzing inside my chest._ “Hey, your ice cream’s melting,” Axel teased, hiding his feelings again. “Eat up.”

“Oh. Right.”

Axel took a bite himself, and so did Roxas.

“You know,” Roxas said after a bit, “I started bringing Xion up here for ice cream while you were gone.”

“Xion? Really?” _Xion… the 14 th. Don’t remember much about that one. Besides, I’ve never seen them with their hood down._

“I promised the three of us could have ice cream together once you got back.”

To Axel, that came completely out of the blue. _Why do those words feel so horribly unexpected?_

“Xion and I are friends now,” Roxas added quietly.

After finishing up their ice cream, Roxas and Axel headed back to the castle.

* * *

Axel headed to his room and went to bed early for the night. Surprisingly, he slept okay. It was nice to be back in his room again.

He woke up early and, rather than get up right away, he was stretched out on his bed, staring vacantly out the window.

The same thoughts from yesterday occupied his mind.

_Roxas genuinely seemed worried about me. I wonder if it’s because he’s Sora’s Nobody. How much different are we Nobodies from our Others? I hadn’t thought about it until meeting Sora and Roxas.  
_

The heart-shaped moon was outside, which wasn’t there before he left to Castle Oblivion. Just the sight of it seemed to draw him in.

* * *

Lea was in an unusual place called the Cavern of Remembrance, which connected the basement of the castle to an external lab in the Rising Falls area of Radiant Garden. Lea was doing his usual rounds near the mining area when he heard someone shouting.

“Stop! Get away from me!”

It was the first time he encountered another person since being down here. It was simultaneously startling and exciting. He darted over to see what was going on and saw a group of Heartless attacking someone.

 _Isa!? What is he doing here!?_ “Isa!” Using his frisbees, he defeated the Heartless menacing his friend without much difficulty.

Isa stared at him with a look of shock on his face.

“Hey there, Isa.” Lea was smiling. “That was a close on, huh?” He helped him onto his feet.

“Lea... it’s really you...”

 _He doesn’t look so good. Well, he just got sent down here and was attacked, so I guess that makes sense._ “So, why'd they send you? I thought they didn’t need anyone else down here,” he asked cheerfully. _I’ve been the only one here for weeks._

“They said they were short-handed because... mostly everyone was wiped out.”

 _What!? That’s..._ _not good. I’ve only been fighting weak Heartless down here on my own. I didn’t know anything about the other prisoners._

“I thought... you were one of them...” Isa wasn’t making eye contact with him.

 _Oh, man. That explains things._ Lea hesitated a bit before speaking. He wasn’t sure what to say. “Well, no wonder you seem so upset. You musta been pretty happy thinking I’d finally be outta your hair for good, huh?” he said playfully. “Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I won’t be that easy to get rid of.”

Lea figured that he would lighten the mood with a sarcastic quip at his own expense. It was actually the kind of joke Isa would usually enjoy making. But this time, it backfired royally.

“...That’s not funny at all,” Isa said in a low voice. 

“Huh?” Lea was taken aback by his deadly serious reaction.

His deep scowl indicated that he was deeply offended.

_Uh-oh... I just wanted to cheer him up, but I think I might have gone too far with that joke. Oops._

“Why would you even make a joke like that!? Do you have any idea how worried I was!?” Isa continued to scold Lea. “This is _not_ a joke to me, Lea! I really thought you had disappeared for good...” He could barely get the words out. He turned his back to Lea.

Lea could see his shoulders tremble. _He was really worried about me, huh? I’d better be more careful with my words so I don’t push any more buttons._ He walked in front of Isa and put his hand on his shoulder. He smiled softly and spoke in a conciliatory tone. “Whoa, hey, calm down, Isa. I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean that.”

Isa looked up at him. “...I... I really thought I’d never see you again...” It sounded like he was about to cry.

 _Oh, boy, I better not put my foot in my mouth again._ “You don’t have to worry any more. I’m not going to disappear. Got it memorized?” He pointed to his temple, same as he always did.

Isa stared at him for a few seconds and heaved a deep sigh of relief. Then he smiled just a tiny bit. “Well, can you blame me for worrying? This is _you_ we're talking about, Lea. You don’t exactly have the best track record. You have a tendency of screwing things up without anyone to keep an eye on you.”

 _There we go. Isa sounds more like himself now. That’s good._ “Wow, _rude_. Back to your usual smug annoying self, I see. That sure was fast.” Lea folded his arms. “Haven’t seen you in ages, and the first thing you do is yell at me, now you’re insulting me. Sheesh.”

Isa laughed a bit. “I’m so glad to see you’re safe, Lea. Sorry for yelling at you.”

Lea was smiling. “I’m glad to see you, too. Really. Honestly, it was getting a bit lonely down here.” 

* * *

Axel was still staring out the window at the heart-shaped moon when he heard someone come into his room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Saïx appear.

“Why didn’t you report in?”

“You can’t give me some time to catch my breath?”

“You had the energy to take a detour before you came back,” he retorted, referring to the ice cream.

Axel propped himself up to blink at him. “Gee, thanks for the kind words. Glad to see you, too.”

Saïx said nothing.

“What, not even one little word of appreciation?”

Saïx showed no sign that he was paying attention to Axel’s half-teasing words. “I’m told Naminé has gone missing.”

“She was there one minute and gone the next,” said Axel. “Wonder where she could be.” _That’s the plain truth. Of course, I was the one who incited her to do something, but I don’t know where she is now._

“And you searched every room?” Saïx prodded.

“You’re kidding, right? You know as well as I do that searching through every room there is impossible.” _In Castle Oblivion, there’s a room that no one has ever set foot in. Not even Xemnas._ _That’s even the reason that castle exists._

“What about the chamber? Did you find it?”

“Come on, I would’ve told you if I did,” Axel drawled.

Saïx heaved an exaggerated sigh. It was just the way he always sighed when he was human.

 _In a way, Saïx puts more effort than any of us into pretending he has a heart_ , Axel thought. _And yet, he’s more lacking than any of us._

In an attempt to change the subject, Axel hauled himself to his feet and leaned in close to whisper at Saïx’s ear. “Anyway… You were right about everything. About Marluxia, the traitors… You knew exactly what was up.”

“Hmm.” Saïx sniffed. “All I did was find a place to send everyone who was getting in the way.”

 _Maybe he’s telling the truth. The other members are only obstacles to Saïx— No. To both of us. And yet,_ _I wonder why I can’t help being sarcastic about it._ “Well, nice to know where I stand! Sheesh. Don’t tell me I was one of those you wanted to get rid of?”

He said it with a grin, but the hint of a frown tugged at the scar between Saïx’s brows. Apparently, it wasn’t very funny to him.

_Looks like he didn’t appreciate that joke. Well, not that I really expected him to. Wonder what compelled me to say it._

“Whoa, you're not supposed to go quiet there.”

“Good to see you made it back safe,” Saïx said, clearly with a bit of sarcasm. 

_Were you worried I wouldn’t?_ Axel thought of asking him directly, but he couldn’t be bothered with putting him in an even fouler mood. _Disgust and rage seem to linger closest to the surface of Saïx’s memories. That’s why his personality is like this._

So he shrugged and offered one more addition to his report. “I took care of Zexion, by the way.”

Saïx turned a pointed glare on him.

“It’s all going according to your plan,” said Axel, holding his gaze. “For now.”

“...I seem to have caused you trouble. You should take a long rest today,” he said coldly before leaving.

 _Just the thing he'd say as a human. He’s just telling me what he thinks I wanna hear to placate me._ “Whatever. If _that's_ how you show your appreciation,” Axel told the empty room.

Then he walked to the Grey Room.

* * *

“Axel. Your mission today is with Roxas. I’d like you to observe his combat style so that you can compare it to the hero when you write your report tomorrow,” Saïx said dispassionately.  
  
“Oh, goody. Right back to work after a special mission. Your appreciation was all talk,” Axel grumbled.

“Think of it as your punishment for not bothering to report your status at Castle Oblivion.”

Axel scratched his neck. _Well, luckily for me, I’m getting used to the kid._

Roxas appeared in the lobby before too long.

“Hey, guess what!” Axel grinned, turning his palms up in a helpless gesture. “They paired me with you today, as a slap on the wrist.”

“Huh? Why am I a slap on the wrist?” Roxas asked.

“Well, they know how much I hate babysitting.” Axel let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Gee, thanks,” huffed Roxas.

“Sheesh. Would it kill them to give me a day off? You’d think they could let me rest for one day at least, coming home tired like this…? I’m exhausted,” Axel whined. “Look at these bags under my eyes. I need my beauty sleep.”

Roxas had to laugh.

“All right, come on, partner. We’ll go just as soon as you’re ready.”

“Right behind ya… Oh, just a minute. I need to do some shopping.” Roxas went to talk to the Moogle.

“C’mon, Roxas, let’s get in gear,” said Axel from behind him.

“I know, I know. Do you need to buy anything?”

“Never do. An ace like me is always ready.”

“…He’s an ace, kupo? At what?” the Moogle remarked for Roxas’s ears only.

But Roxas repeated the gibe. “You’re an ace? At what?”

“Pfft. Not like you toddlers would get it,” Axel mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and sulking in defeat.

Roxas and the Moogle turned to each other and snickered.

“…Hurry up already,” Axel complained.

“Sure thing, Mr. Ace!” Roxas was still laughing.

* * *

Their mission today was gathering hearts in Agrabah.

They had just taken out several Heartless when Axel stopped short.

“What is it?” Roxas was immediately cautious, but Axel held a finger to his lips. “Hmm…?”

“There…” Axel pointed to a bulky figure wandering about.

It didn’t look like a Heartless, though. In fact, his name was Pete, and they were right to suspect that he might be up to no good.

“What’s he doing, poking at the wall like that?” Roxas murmured.

At almost the same moment, Pete cried, “Bingo!”

“Huh?”

Pete pushed a certain spot, and a section of the wall began ponderously sliding away to reveal a secret passage. “Heh-heh. I finally found it! Open sesame for me! And once I find the lamp that's stashed down there... Heh heh heh... All my wishes’ll come true.

That bit of info caught Axel's attention. “He thinks some lamp is gonna grant his wishes?”

“Yeah, strange guy,” Roxas replied.

Then he walked in, and they lost sight of him.

After waiting a good few seconds, Roxas and Axel peered into the passageway and saw the desert beyond. It simply led through the city walls.

“Change of plans. Our new mission is trailing lunkhead there,” said Axel. “And try to be subtle about it.” He stepped into the passage.

“Wait, what?” Roxas started. “We’re out on heart gathering. Won’t we get in trouble if we just—?”

“Looking into any suspicious characters you come across is an important part of the job.” Axel stood with his arms akimbo as if to lecture Roxas for trying to stop him.

“But isn’t that still disobeying orders?”

“Nah, you gotta play these things by ear. Taking detours is all part of the job. It’s called flexible thinking. Got it memorized? Anyway, we can still collect plenty of hearts after we follow him. No harm, no foul.”

“…I guess,” Roxas said grudgingly.

 _Maybe he understood and maybe he didn’t quite._ “C’mon, before we lose him.” Axel walked on and Roxas scrambled to follow.

From the other side of the wall, they could see a great statue of a tiger’s head with gaping jaws enshrined in the middle of the desert’s expanse. Even from this distance, it was clear that the mouth was big enough for someone to walk inside. Someone like the large, suspicious figure gawking at the tiger’s huge teeth. Keeping a safe distance, Roxas and Axel went after him.

“I had no idea this was here,” Roxas marveled.

The tiger’s mouth led down into a cavern beneath the sands—no natural cave but chambers carved out of rock for purposes unknown. There was no sign of Pete.

“This place is way bigger than it looked from outside…” Confounded, Axel shook his head. “Yeah, I think we lost him.”

“So now what?”

“Guess we’ll have to put a pin in that part of the mission. Back to collecting hearts.”

Confused, Roxas squinted. “You don’t want to look for him?”

“I mean, I would’ve liked to know what he was up to, but finding out about this cave is enough for today,” said Axel. “Besides, this place is huge. Searching for one lunkhead in here would be a royal pain in the ass. Way too much trouble.”

“What happened to this being an important part of the job?” Roxas was rather surprised with Axel for insisting they pursue their quarry all the way out here and then declaring it “too much trouble.” But then again, Axel _was_ the kind of guy who didn't like things to be too troublesome. He always complained that things were “a pain.”

“That would be violating orders.” There was a hint of mischief in Axel’s reply.

“Oh, I see.” Roxas laughed. “We’d better head back to the city, then.”

The pair left behind the cave for now and returned through the desert to the winding streets of Agrabah.

* * *

They destroyed the Heartless lurking in the city. Collecting hearts did not make for a very challenging mission.

“That takes care of that,” said Axel. “Shall we?”

“Yup.” But as they were about to make their way back to the corridors, Axel put out a hand to stop Roxas. Right in front of them were two denizens of Agrabah.

One was a young woman with long, lustrous black hair, dressed so finely that she had to be royalty; she was anxiously clasping her hands and gazing up at a relatively ordinary man. “Aladdin, are you sure you’re okay? I think you should get some rest.”

“I’ll be all right,” said Aladdin. “The sandstorms finally let up—we have to work on patching up the city, even of we can’t do much.”

“That’s true, but still…” The young woman averted her eyes in worry. “You’ll run yourself ragged at this rate. If you go on like this, you’ll collapse.”

“I said I’m fine, Jasmine. But we don’t know when another storm will hit. We need to get everything up and running again before it does…”

Agrabah was indeed in better repair than when Roxas had last seen it. So there hadn’t been a sandstorm for a little while.

“If only Genie were around.” Jasmine sighed, her head still down.

“I miss him, too, but we can’t rely on magic. Agrabah is our city. It’s our job to fix it up with our own strength.”

“Yes… Of course, you’re right.” Jasmine lifted her face and tried to give him an encouraging smile.

“Now, I should get back to work.”

“Wait—I’ll help, too.” Aladdin and Jasmine walked together down the street leading to the bazaar.

“Does the guy we saw before have something to do with all the storms?” Roxas wondered.

“Dunno… But we’ll find out sooner or later,” Axel said dismissively. “Let’s get out of here for now.” He was already briskly striding away, and Roxas had to jog to catch up with him again.

* * *

Axel and Roxas perched atop the clock tower, enjoying their ice cream.

“You’re more cheerful than you were,” Axel remarked, peering intently at Roxas.

“So are you.” Roxas settled for telling him. “More…upbeat.”

“Really? You think? Guess that kid musta rubbed off on me.”

“Huh?”

“Er—let’s just say it’s all thanks to you that we can sit here eating ice cream and laughing for no reason.”

“I guess Xion isn’t gonna show today…” 

In lieu of a reply, Axel took another bite of ice cream.

_The longer you know someone, the less you need to speak in clear terms. Everything gets across with a wink and a nudge, a little reading between the lines... When it comes to what befell our late comrades at Castle Oblivion, ambiguity suits me just fine.  
_

_But the Keyblade master and Roxas come out and say every little thing that comes to mind. When I was human, I guess I used to wear my heart on my sleeve like that, too. Maybe that’s a human quality. I’m not sure. If so, maybe I’m starting to change and be more human-like after being around Sora and Roxas.  
_

* * *

In the Hall of Empty Melodies, Xigbar approached Xaldin who was already there waiting.

“Saïx had a hand in what went down at Castle Oblivion—well, more like a whole arm. Which means Axel was in on it as well.”

“Hmph. Axel. What were his orders?” Xaldin was scowling.  
  
“It’s a fact that Xemnas ordered Axel to take out the traitors, orders which went through Saïx. No specific names were given, but naturally Xemnas knew who the turncoats were right from the get-go.”

Xaldin folded his arms. “That fool has taken out half of the founding members.”

“Anyone can see that he was acting at Saïx’s behest. But Xemnas doesn’t seem to care.”

“He values that one far too much. If Xemnas isn’t interested, we can take matters into our own hands.”


	8. Day 74: Xion's Face & Day 75: Inseparable

It was the Day 74th day.

Axel spent all day yesterday working on the report about Castle Oblivion. He finally finished it, hardly getting any sleep in the process, and figured he might as well get back to the Grey Area.

_To be honest with myself, I’ve been sweating bullets the entire time. It wasn’t simply writing things down. I had to decide what to include and what to leave out, where I could get away with fudging the truth— it was a huge pain in the ass._

The lobby was still empty. With an enormous yawn, Axel collapsed on the sofa. Even Nobodies needed sleep. He crossed his arms and let his eyes close.

_Just a little catnap…_

“That is not a bed.” A sudden rebuke cut through the peace and quiet, and Axel startled awake.

“What…? Oh. You, Saïx.”

“What do you mean ‘what’? Were you expecting someone else?” Saïx looked down at him with distinct displeasure. “Did you hand in the report?”

Axel stretched his back. “Obviously.”

“Then you’ll leave for that mission with Roxas as we discussed.”

“Yessir. Gotcha.” As he popped his neck, trying to work out the kinks, Saïx walked away to stand in his usual spot.

Before too much longer, Demyx and Luxord arrived, and then eventually Roxas.

Axel got up from the sofa, stretching for the umpteenth time. “Hey, there you are, Roxas. You’re late. Rise and shine.” _Heh. It’s already afternoon. I just woke up myself, though._

Roxas, too, was rubbing his eyes. “Sorry… I couldn’t really sleep.”

“I asked Saïx about Xion,” Axel told him.

At that, Roxas looked up.

“Your friend was sent out on a mission but never returned.”

“But… why not?” Roxas nervously averted his eyes. “Shouldn’t the mission be over with by now? Does that mean... she failed?”

Axel gave him a gentle push and started toward Saïx. “I dunno, but we’ll find out soon enough.”

“How?” Roxas asked skeptically.

Axel grinned at him. “You and me get to go track down Xion. That’s our mission today.”

“Really?!” Brightened, Roxas looked back to him.

“Nope, I made it all up. Go back to bed,” Axel joked. “Yes, really! Hurry up and get ready, will you?”

“Yeah! Let’s hurry and go!” Roxas dashed off toward Saïx.

“Hey, I mean _actually_ get ready first. We don’t know what we could come across.”

“I’ll be fine!” said Roxas, then he blurted at Saïx, “Where’s our mission today?”

“Twilight Town,” Saïx replied dispassionately. “Don’t come back until you find out what happened to Xion.”

“Got it!”

“C’mon, lets go Axel!” Roxas called.

“Yessir. I’m coming, I’m coming.” _Sheesh. For some reason Roxas is being a little bit forceful._

With an irritated glance over his shoulder, Roxas opened a dark portal and stepped in without wasting another second.

* * *

The two searched all over town, even asking a few of the local kids for clues. But nothing yet.

“Ugh, where is she!?” Roxas moaned.

“You almost seem like you’re truly worried. Calm down, Roxas.”  
  
Roxas ignored Axel’s dismissive attitude. “C’mon! Lets check the old mansion.”

When they got there, the Veil Lizard revealed itself in front of the haunted mansion. Roxas stood ready with the Keyblade. “You think this is it? Xion’s target?”

“Most likely.” Axel gripped his chakrams. “No wonder the mission’s taking so long. It blends right into the scenery.”

“So where’s Xion?”

“Still out trying to find it probably.” Axel wreathed himself in flames.

“What should we do?”

“What, I gotta spell it out for you?” Axel shot a jet of fire at the Veil Lizard.

“Right!” Roxas charged, and their attacks landed in a nearly simultaneous explosion.

And then—another figure came rushing out of the woods, someone in an Organization cloak.

“Xion!” cried Roxas.

 _That’s Xion… I guess?_ Axel couldn’t tell whether that person, hood still up, was Xion or not. Roxas could, though, apparently.

“Roxas!” Xion called, turning, but the Veil Lizard seized on that moment of distraction to lash out with its tail and knock her aside.

That was Axel’s first time hearing Xion utter a sound, but it was definitely a girl’s voice.

Roxas shouted her name again, about to run to her side, but Axel grabbed his shoulder. “Hey, focus! You’re supposed to be saving her butt, not getting yours kicked!”

Roxas was looking at Xion, worriedly.

“She’s just unconscious. We have to take down that thing first!”

“…Right.” Roxas whirled to strike at the Veil Lizard.

 _Roxas has gotten strong._ _I thought the same thing when we went on a mission together the day before yesterday or whenever it was._ _It’s different from normal growth… I wanna suspect something else, something more has happened. Maybe it’s got something to do with Sora._

Axel went to give Roxas cover, throwing a chakram at the Vanish Lizard from a distance.

“Here goes!” Roxas sprang into the air and dealt a nasty blow that finished off the Veil Lizard.

Light swallowed it, dissolving their foe into nothing but a glowing heart floating up and away.

Without sparing a moment to revel in the triumph of defeating a giant Heartless, Roxas ran straight to Xion and cradled her. “Xion, are you okay?”

“…Roxas?”

Her hood was still hiding from Axel whatever expression might be on her face.

“Are you hurt?”

“Thank you… I’m fine.” Her voice was so faint. “It’s just…”

 _First of all, it’d be better if we got her out of here._ “You can tell us all about it. But first, let’s find somewhere to sit down. You two go on ahead to the clock tower.” He started walking. 

* * *

Axel bought three ice cream bars at the shop and slowly ambled towards to the clock tower.

_I wanted some time to think. There are things here I don’t quite get. Why does Roxas get so worried over Xion…? I can’t imagine being able to trust someone whose expressions are always hidden— whose face I’ve never even seen. Not that there’s a whole lot of trust to speak of between members of the Organization— or between Nobodies in general. Still, it just doesn’t make any sense to me._

Roxas’s words echoed in his head.

_“I promised the three of us could have ice cream together.”_

_How did Xion win Roxas’s trust so thoroughly that he’d make such a promise? Actually, I’d be hard-pressed to say how I gained that trust myself— but after all, I was the first to spend much time with him as a mentor figure. And I think I’ve done a pretty good job of looking out for him._

_That isn’t the case with Xion, though. What could have happened while I was off at Castle Oblivion…?_

It was still nagging at him as he climbed the stairs to the clock tower.

“Well, I can think all I want, but it wont give me any answers,” he muttered quietly, and walked up to the ledge.

Roxas and Xion sat side by side. “Screaming for ice cream yet?” He squeezed past them to take a seat by the corner, then handed a treat to each. “Here ya go.”

“Thank you...” That was the first time Xion had said anything to Axel. And yet, the hood still kept her face in shadow.

Roxas wasted no time chomping into his ice cream, but Xion only sat there holding hers by the stick.

“Eat up,” Roxas told her. “It’s gonna melt.”

She nodded. “Yeah...” Still, she made no move to taste it.

“What’s wrong?” Axel asked. “Not hungry?” _At least, I can tell from her voice that she’s female. But, I don’t know a single thing other than that._ _And, I don’t really like hanging out with girls. Press the wrong button— or even gently tap the wrong button— and women fly into a bad mood._

Roxas was watching her with concern. “Did something happen?”

 _For some reason, it seems like Roxas can see the look on her face_ , Axel thought. _But how? No one else can._

Xion kept silent.

Finally, with no other choice, Axel had to say something. “If you’ve got troubles, you tell them to your friends. Right, Roxas?”

He nodded. “Yeah. We’re… friends, right?”

Then Xion finally spoke. “I… I can’t use the Keyblade anymore.”

_The Keyblade? What is she talking about? Xion can use a Keyblade, too? This is news to me. Xemnas must have mentioned it when she joined. I should probably start paying more attention during meetings. Although, if she is another Keyblade wielder, that does explain why Roxas was so concerned with her. I can sort of accept that as the reason why he would let her in._

“And without the Keyblade, I can’t do my job.”

Even under the hood, they could see that her shoulders were trembling.

“What happened?” Roxas pressed.

“I don’t know… But if I don’t defeat Heartless with the Keyblade, the hearts they release just find their way into other Heartless. I swat them down in one place, and they pop up in another.” There was a tremor in her voice, too. “I’m supposed to be collecting hearts. Those are my orders. Without the Keyblade… I’m useless.” She hung her head. Melting ice cream dripped onto her hand.

_If Xion is useless, Xemnas will get rid of her and turn her into a Dusk. No, I’ll probably have to be the one to do it._

“Can’t we do anything, Axel?” Roxas pleaded. 

Axel shrugged. “I wish…but them’s the breaks. Can’t collect hearts without a Keyblade.” _I only found out just now that she could use a Keyblade. If there’s a way to fix her sudden inability, finding it is above my pay grade._

“They… they’ll find out they don’t need me… and they’ll turn me into a Dusk…” Xion’s voice was shaking more noticeably now.

_I’m no good at listening to a girl who sounds like she’s about to cry. That’s way above my pay grade._

“We’ll never let that happen.” Roxas’s tone was just a little strong.

 _If you’re going to say something like that, then do something yourself,_ Axel almost said, but he swallowed the words.

“C’mon, Axel, think of something!” Roxas insisted.

 _Why can’t_ you _think of something?_ The retort nearly left Axel’s mouth, but he gulped it back down. _Roxas is the only one who could use the Keyblade. It’s not like Xion could take his…_ “Like I said, there’s just no way to— Wait.” Axel paused, looking back at Roxas.

Roxas noticed the look and blurted in excitement, “You thought of something?”

Beside him, Xion was still hunched over, hidden under her hood.

“Roxas, you should just do your best,” Axel suggested.

“Huh?”

“What if you worked double duty?”

“What do you mean?” Roxas and Xion both looked at Axel.

 _I get the feeling she’s actually looking at me for the first time._ “Xion, you make to always stick with Roxas until you can use the Keyblade again. Then he can collect the hearts, and no one ever has to know you’re not.”

Roxas beamed at him. “Axel, that’s perfect!”

“Ah ah ah. There’s a catch— you’re gonna have to have to work twice as hard from now on, Roxas.”

“I can handle it.” He nodded firmly. “I’ll do my best.”

“…Is that okay?” Xion looked worried. “…You don’t mind?”

“Of course not!”

“But...” Her head drooped again. Most of her ice cream was melted.

“When you’re in trouble, you can count on your friends,” said Axel. “Roxas gets it.”

Affirming his words, Roxas turned to her with a warm smile.

“So… does that mean… you and I are friends, too, Axel?” Xion asked timidly.

Axel hesitated, staring into the sunset instead of at her. _What do I say to that? I’m not sure what made it click, but now I feel like I understand why Roxas and Xion get along so well. I can’t see Xion’s face… and yet, there’s something special about her. Something I hadn’t noticed at all the first time I met her._

“Any friend of Roxas is a friend of mine,” he finally replied, looking back at Xion. _Huh?_ His breath caught for an instant.

Her hood was down, and a raven-haired girl was watching him.

_When did she take it off? Did I miss it because I was staring at the sunset? Her face, though—it reminds me of Naminé’s. What does this mean? Whose Nobody is she?_

“Thank you… Roxas, Axel,” she gushed.

“Just eat your ice cream,” Axel said, covering his discomfort.

Xion finally started in on the remains of her melted ice cream, and the three of them basked in the light of the sinking sun.

Axel took one more peek and the resemblance to Naminé was even more striking. He was shaken. _She looks just like Naminé._

_“Is that your shield? Won’t do you any good, I’m afraid. I don’t mind eliminating her as well.”_

_I was gonna eliminate her. But now that face... is asking to be my friend._

Axel couldn’t bear to look at her again.

_Still. No wonder Roxas felt so drawn to her. The same bond that exists between Sora and Naminé probably exists between Roxas and Xion._

_“There’s a special memory that goes with this good-luck charm. One night, when Naminé and I were little, there was this meteor shower. Naminé started crying. She said, ‘What if a shooting star hits the islands?’ So I said, ‘If a shooting star comes this way, I'll hit it right back into outer space!’ I was swinging this toy sword around the whole time.”_

_That promise Sora made to Naminé to protect her. Roxas must be able to feel it, too, even if he isn’t aware of it. That’s probably why he was so worried about Xion’s safety, even before he saw her face. That’s why he was able to trust her. And make that promise to her._

* * *

Dilan took Lea from his cell and led him to the cavern depths, just like he had every morning.

“We need every last Heartless down here eliminated. Remember, this is your responsibility. Each day, you will be given a quota for the amount of Heartless to defeat. You should be aware of this goal every day. If you can't keep up with the quota, we have no use for you.” With nothing left to add, Dilan turned his back and walked away.

As soon as Dilan left, Lea took off in a sprint looking for Isa.

_He won't stand a chance if he's by himself. I have to find him as soon as possible!_

“Isa! Where are you!? Can you hear me!?”

When Lea finally stumbled upon Isa, he was being attacked by several Heartless.

“Lea!” Isa was on the ground, but he got to his feet as soon as he saw Lea. Unfortunately, as soon as he made a move, the Heartless struck him pretty hard.

Lea ran towards him and got himself knocked around a few times. “Argh! Get off me!”

Lea swiftly defeated them, then rushed over to his friend who was lying on his back.  
  
He knelt down beside him. “Hey! Isa!” 

Isa slowly opened his eyes. “Lea.” He looked around. “Where did—?”

“Don’t worry. I beat the Heartless. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But...”

“What?”

“I... don’t really know how to fight like you do. There’s no way I’ll be able to keep up with their quota every day. They’re gonna get rid of me once they find out I’m useless. I’m... gonna turn into... a Heartless...” His voice began shaking.

Lea had never seen him so scared before. Instinctively, he put both his hands on Isa’s shoulders. He could feel him trembling as he looked him dead in the eye. “Isa. Listen to me.”

Isa looked up at Lea and held his gaze.

“I won’t let that happen to you. You’re _not_ going to turn into a Heartless, okay? I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

“But...how?”

“You just stick with me. I’ll fulfill the quota for both of us.”

“Will that work?” Isa asked timidly.

“I don’t see why not. They can’t complain as long as the quota's being met. Right?”

Isa looked away, troubled. “But you’d have to do my share, too. You’d have to take out twice as many of them...”

“I don’t mind! I can do it! I’ll just have to... do my best!” Lea gave Isa a warm bright smile. “Just leave it to me, okay?”

Isa nodded weakly. “Okay.”

* * *

The next day marked the 75th day. 

“Morning, Roxas,” Xion greeted him in the lobby. She sounded cheerful.

Axel was there, too, in the corner of the lobby.

Roxas answered her with a grin. “Morning.”

“Thank you, you know.”

“Sure.”

They both turned to gauge Saïx’s mood. If he didn’t grant them permission to work together, their plan was dead in the water. But they had discussed that hurdle with Axel yesterday.

Axel was leaning against the wall in an attitude of total disinterest—except for the wink he gave them.

“C’mon,” said Roxas.

Xion nodded, and they walked side by side over to Saïx.

“Um, Saïx,” Roxas began.

“Ah, there you are, Roxas. Your mission today…” Saïx scanned through the papers he held.

“Actually, we wanted to ask you something. Could Xion and I work together?”

Saïx raised one eyebrow. “Together?”

“I guess…not…?” said Xion in her tiny voice.

“What could possibly possess you to ask at a time like this? We’re shorthanded as it is. You can’t expect—”

Axel stepped in to interrupt Saïx’s scolding. “Why not? Sounds like a good idea to me. Put two half-pints together and you get a whole. Working together, these two newbies could finally work at least as much as one person, right?”

Saïx turned to Axel with a sour look on his face. _Just what are you planning?_

“If you let us pair up, we can take care of tougher missions for you,” Roxas added before Saïx could get another word in. “And it’d do wonders for our motivation!”

But Saïx shook his head. _Why bring up the past like this?_

“If he says it's good for their motivation, it can’t be that bad a deal, right?”

“So it’s not going to work,” Roxas whispered, his shoulders slumping.

When Saïx spoke again, though, it wasn’t what they expected. “Fine. As you wish.” 

Roxas and Xion nodded, trying to hide their glee.

“But you had better prove that two people can work like three, or this arrangement comes to an end.” 

After sending off Xion and Roxas, Saïx spun around to face Axel behind him. “What are you playing at?”

“What do you mean? Just offering some friendly help.” Axel grinned at Saïx, bright and innocent.

“Hmm. Whatever you say.” The frustrated frown at Saïx’s mouth relaxed a bit. “It may work out to our advantage.”

“…Now what do you mean?”

“Now that you’ve made contact, what did you think of Xion?”

_Saïx is doing that thing where he replies to questions with more questions. He never actually answers me at times like this._

“Think of her? I mean…what you see’s what you get.”

_I have plenty of questions about Xion, however, it would be fruitless to ask. I don’t imagine Saïx would answer._

“Heh. What you see is indeed what you get,” Saïx said with a quiet, cryptic laugh. “It’s high time for you to get to work as well. You’ll be investigating a new world today.”

“Roger that.” No sooner had Axel acknowledged the order than he walked into the Corridors of Darkness.

_Despite the name, the corridors are not completely dark— the light is thin and hazy, but it's there._

Axel paused as Saïx’s words came back to him.

_“What you see is indeed what you get…”_

_Saïx couldn’t have met Naminé, but he probably knows what she looks like from data files. One answer to the many riddles of Xion is obvious. Their features are practically identical. Xion and Naminé are linked somehow. Actually, to guess from their looks, Xion and Naminé could be twin Nobodies. A pair of very special Nobodies, somehow born concurrently from the heart of a princess, with no darkness in it— Kairi’s heart. So you could see the answer right there._

_I suspect the connection between Sora and Kairi is also the connection between Roxas and Xion, which explains why Roxas was so invested in her before even seeing her face. And having them work together “may work out to our advantage” somehow, too,_ Axel thought, picking up his pace. _But why am I so concerned about those two? Is it just the power of the Keyblade hero?_

* * *

Axel stepped out of the Corridors of Darkness, blinking as he looked around. The place was a little reminiscent of Agrabah, with great stone buildings towering over dry dusty earth. It was called the Olympus Coliseum.

_So, today I’ve been ordered to look for strong-hearted potential candidates for the organization in this new world. That means I’ll have to investigate any suspicious characters._

Axel made his way near the Coliseum but stopped just short of the gate. There were several people inside the lobby having a chat. He decided to wait outside and listen in.

“You’ve been duking it out at the Coliseum every day in addition to eliminating all the Heartless,” said the voice of a concerned young woman in a purple dress. She was tending to a young muscular man. “Look at you. You’re ready to drop, but you keep on fighting back to back matches in the Games. On top of all the training from Phil.”

“Hey, you know what they say,” responded a short goat-like man with horns named Phil. “‘A hero’s work is never done’. If Herc wants to be a hero, he’s gotta bust his butt.” 

“Phil!” the woman huffed. “He’s exhausted! He needs rest!”

“Don’t worry, Meg. I’ll be fine. What does a hero need rest for, huh?” The man named Herc flexed his large arms and smiled, covering up his worry.

Meg’s expression didn't change.

“Listen. If I stop participating in the games, Hades will sense weakness and he’ll take advantage of it. Besides, I want the Coliseum to stay clear of Heartless so the spectators will be safe.”

“Well, I don’t want anything to happen to _you_. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you...”

“Yeesh. Mushy stuff.” Phil crossed his arms and shook his head slowly. “Sounds like you two are a bit more than ‘just friends’. Don’t go gettin’ soft on me, kid.”

“I-I know that, Phil,” Herc spat awkwardly. “I haven’t forgotten my goal. I need to become a true hero.”

“I raised you up from a scrawny brat, so you’d better not let me down.”

Herc sighed. “I just wonder at what point I’ll actually become a hero. What exactly does it take?”

Just, then a group of Heartless showed up. Horse-like ones with wings and armored helmets.

“Uh-oh,” Axel whispered to himself. He hid behind a pillar and watched as the three came outside in front of the Coliseum.

A few Heartless came towards Meg.

Herc easily defeated all of them single-handedly. Despite being supposedly tired, he barely broke a sweat. Afterwards, he scooped Meg up into his arms.

“Well, you may not be a true hero, but you’re _my_ hero... I’ll have to apply some healing herbs on those wounded muscles, hmmm?” She spoke in a sultry and flirtatious way.

“As long as I’m fighting to protect you, Meg, I don’t need rest.”

“Well, even you have your limits, Wonderboy.” Meg turned her attention to Phil. “I won’t forgive you if you push him too hard, Phil.”

“Yeesh, dealin’ with your girl is even scarier than the Heartless. All right, I guess you’re right. Herc _is_ overworked. And maybe we _are_ understaffed. Tell ya what, I’ll look for more help around here.”

Meg clasped her hands. “Thank you, Phil.”

“Ah, well, what can I say? I’m a sucker for beautiful women.” He sounded slightly annoyed with himself.

“I think I know someone who might be interested in being your new trainee, Phil,” Herc added.

“Wonderful. Send 'em my way. I’ll see if they’re up to it.”

The trio went back inside.

Axel saw just about everything he needed for now.

_We’re understaffed, too. He seems like he’d be a candidate. He’s real strong. A hero with a powerful heart. Someone like that turns into a Heartless, they leave behind a really powerful Heartless. Roxas defeats it, and we get closer to completing Kingdom Hearts. He’d leave behind a strong Nobody, too. Just the kind of person Xemnas wants. If the organization decides to go after him, they’d probably go after that girl. He obviously wants to protect her._

Axel created a dark corridor and left.

* * *

Atop the clock tower in Twilight Town, Roxas and Xion were already there waiting when Axel arrived.

“Hey. Mission go okay?”

Roxas and Xion both looked up from their ice cream.

“Yeah, looks like we did okay, somehow… thanks to you, Roxas and Axel,” Xion replied.

“That’s good,” answered Axel.

“I’m sorry. I hope I'm not making you overdo it,” Xion apologized.

“It’s okay! Just leave it to me!” Roxas sounded more than happy about his job.

“I think it’s gonna work… Thanks, guys. You’re the best.”

“We try.” Axel took a seat beside them in his usual perch and bit into his own bar. He savored it in silence for a bit before asking, “So where’d they end up sending you today?”

“That place where you and I went once, um…” Roxas began.

“Agrabah,” Xion supplied.

“Oh yeah, that city in the desert,” said Axel.

Then the conversation trailed off again while the three of them ate their ice cream.

They heard a long train whistle in the distance.

* * *

Early in the morning, Dilan approached Lea’s small dark cell. “Let’s go.”

_Ugh, why do they have to get us up so early?_

They began walking down the hall and towards a white door that led back into the caverns.

“Um. Where is Isa being assigned today?”

“The Engine Chamber,” he replied brusquely.

Lea made his way to the Engine Chamber as soon as he was left alone.

“You have to do my share, too,” Isa said nervously. “You’re not pushing yourself too hard?”  
  
“No way, I’m fine. Besides, I have to make sure they don't have any reason to complain.” He swatted at the Heartless. 

“I’m sorry... I’m putting you through so much...” He was profusely apologetic.

“It's okay!! Just leave it to me!!” Lea was more than happy to do whatever was necessary.

“I wish I could do something to help you. I hate seeing you do all the work like this.”

“Sheesh. Don’t worry about it. I told you I’d take care of ‘em.”

“But I’m worried. What if you get burned out at this rate?”

“Burned out? An ace like me!?” Lea began swinging his frisbees. “Nah, I'll be fine.” 

“...Okay.” Isa began fidgeting his fingers.

Isa was usually so composed. Lea had never seen him so timid and unsure of himself before. He was completely out of his element down here. 

“Relax. You just stick to me. I’ll take care of you.” He gave him a reassuring smile. “When you're in trouble, you rely on your friends. That’s what friends are for.”

With enough prodding, Isa managed to give Lea a tiny smile back. “...Thank you, Lea,” he said in a small weak voice.

* * *

“That Genie we met seemed really worried about his friend Al,” Xion remarked eventually. “But then he said that you have to respect your friend’s wishes.” Idly swinging her legs, she took another bite.

Axel leaned his head to one side. “Your friend’s wishes, huh…” _It feels like I have heard that before, a long time ago, when I was human._

“I guess you can’t just jump in and do everything for them, even if you want to,” she added.

“Yeah. People need their space.” 

“Huh.” Roxas peered at him curiously. “So then why did the Genie say he and Al were ‘inseparable’?”

“It’s not like they’re actually joined at the hip. What’s it mean?” Xion was staring at Axel, too, as if he had all the answers.

“Well, I think you can be inseparable, even if you’re apart,” said Axel.

Roxas and Xion shared a look.

“…Even if you’re apart,” Roxas murmured.

They trailed off, and this time Axel finished his ice cream. So he started talking again. “It’s like, if you _feel_ really close to each other. Like best friends.”

“So best friends are different from plain friends, right?” Xion still had questions.

“It’s the same kind of thing,” Axel replied, and Roxas and Xion looked at each other. “…But if I had to, I’d say best friends are a notch above just plain friends.”

“What’s it like having a best friend, Axel?” Roxas asked.

Stumped by that one, Axel turned to the sunset. _Even if Nobodies could go around playacting friendship, pretending to be best friends is something else altogether. It just isn’t in us. I don't know how to answer._

He squinted in the blazing glow and finally said, “Well... I haven’t got a best friend, so I couldn’t tell ya.”

“Oh…” Roxas looked away and Xion said nothing at all.

The last of the slanting red light shone on their faces.


	9. Day 94: Hearts & Day 95: My Past

It was Day 94.

Axel got up at the usual time and headed to the lobby.

Saïx was already there waiting. “Axel. There is a meeting at the Altar of Naught. Make sure you pay attention.”

“Ugh. A meeting?” He yawned and stretched. “What’s this about, anyway?”

“The hearts collected by our two Keyblade wielders have gathered together; and now, almighty Kingdom Hearts waxes large in the night sky. Our efforts have come to bear fruit, nearly ripe for the plucking.”

“So... it’s almost finished,” Axel said quietly to himself. He headed to the Altar of Naught through a dark corridor.

They were called to a place none of them had seen before— a great balcony so high it seemed to be floating in space, where the breeze was cool on their cheeks.

In the center stood Xemnas. Everyone clustered around him. “The time has come… Look to the skies!”

Axel looked up, his gaze unwavering from the heart-shaped moon. 

“At long last the great gathering of hearts is revealed to us,” he intoned, opening his arms wide beneath the empty black sky. 

_There it is… Kingdom Hearts._

“Hearts full of rage, sadness... and bliss,” Xemnas went on. “Shining down upon us is the heart of all hearts— Kingdom Hearts. There in the sky hangs the promise of a new world.”

_Strange for Xemnas to say such a thing, since he and his apprentices were the ones who willingly gave up their hearts in the first place. And all this time, they’ve been yearning to get them back again._

“My comrades! Let us remember why we are here, why we Nobodies have organized, and what we hope to achieve. The strength of the human heart is vast. Soon, though... we will have gained power over it! Never again will it... have power over us.”

_What’s that mean? I don’t get it. We all want hearts back because we’re incomplete. What’s that got to do with gaining power over the heart, though?_

After Xemnas’s speech, it was back to the usual routine for the day. The one difference was that now, Kingdom Hearts could be seen through the large windows in the lobby; a heart-shaped moon, floating in the pitch-black sky.

* * *

Axel was told to do reconnaissance. Unlike Roxas, Axel’s missions usually didn’t require much in the way of combat. He was on the lookout for interesting figures who could be potential candidates to join the organization, since they were understaffed. Those with strong bodies and even stronger hearts.

When Axel emerged from the dark portal, he found himself near the gate of what appeared to be a large circus and made his way inside. He looked around. There were tents with snacks, various carnival rides, and even a pool house. 

He blended into the crowd, not drawing much attention to himself. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Just a bunch of kids. Then, as he was preparing to leave, he witnessed two men talking to a small boy.

The two men gave off a sleazy aura, something Axel was all too familiar with. There was darkness in their hearts.

“Here we are, Pinocchio!” The fox-shaped man who was wearing a top hat put an arm over the boy’s shoulder.

“This is Prankster’s Paradise?” he asked.

“That it is! Or my name’s not Honest John! Truly spectacular. Right, Gideon?”

The cat-man Gideon didn’t speak, but nodded. He seemed to be going along with whatever “Honest” John was saying.

Honest John began waving his arms theatrically. “It’s a grand circus of merriment! Food, music, fun! On Pleasure Island there are absolutely no rules! It’s like we told you before. Young boys such as yourself can do whatever their heart desires.”

Gideon silently nodded in agreement.

 _This sounds like a place I would have liked to come when I was a kid. Though Isa probably wouldn’t have let me. Sounds like a breeding ground for darkness_ , Axel thought, hiding behind one of the nearby tents. _I wonder if there are Heartless around._

“Whatever my heart desires,” Pinocchio repeated, seemingly contemplating the idea.

Honest John came very close to Pinocchio’s ear. “That’s right. You can do anything you wish. And it’s all _free_.” The smirk he was wearing was sinister, though the child wasn’t able to pick up on it. 

_No. There’s always a price to pay._

“Gee, this place sure looks amazing! This _must_ be where the Blue Fairy lives!” Pinocchio seemed very excited.

“Blue Fairy? Why, what are you talking about, lad?”

“My father told me that the Blue Fairy is the one who grants your heart’s desire!”

Honest John started nodding vigorously. “Yes, my boy, yes! The Blue Fairy lives here! Now, come with us.” The smooth-talking fox was getting very pushy.

“I have to go tell my father! I know how much he’s been wanting to thank the Blue Fairy for making his wish come true.” Pinocchio turned around and was about to leave.

Honest John used his cane to grab onto the boys clothes, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Oh no, no, no. You can’t tell anyone, lad.”

“But why?” He wasn’t very street smart, apparently.

“Because... because—” he stammered nervously.

It was then that Axel revealed himself from behind one of the tents. He wasn’t planning on giving him a chance to finish. “Because he’s trying to trick you. Lure you in with promises of fun and excitement, then use you for his own ends.” He had his arms folded and was wearing a sly smile. “Am I right?” he asked somewhat playfully, staring straight at Honest John.

“Wha-what? No, no, of course not.” Honest John turned to his companion. “Right Gideon?”

Gideon nodded desperately.

“Run along now. This kid’s gotta go home.” His tone was more forceful now.

“And just who do you think _you_ are you, anyway?” Honest John pointed his cane at Axel.

Axel brandished his chakrams. “Who me? Oh, I’m no one important. Just a naughty boy here to play.”

Honest John began to sweat. “Come, Gideon! I just forgot! We have business to attend to!”

At that, both men ran off at a brisk pace.

Axel knelt down to speak to Pinocchio at eye level. “Gotta be careful out there. The world is full of lies and empty promises. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”

“Gee, thanks mister. I guess the Blue Fairy doesn’t live here, after all. I know I’m a real boy now, but I sure do miss my conscience,” he said sadly. “He woulda known.”

“Your... conscience?” _What the heck does that mean?_

“Yep! My friend! His name is Jiminy!”

_That name sounds familiar for some reason._

“But he’s traveling with Sora on a great big adventure.” Pinocchio suddenly looked dejected. “He told me that while he’s gone, I have to listen to my heart and do what’s right on my own. But it’s harder than I expected.”

_Sora? Oh, he’s talking about that cricket. I remember him from Castle Oblivion. Well, whaddaya know. It seems like everyone’s connected to the hero in some way._

What Pinocchio said caught Axel's attention. “What do you mean a ‘real’ boy?” _He’s not a Nobody... I don’t think._

“Well, you see, I used to be a puppet!” He said it with an amused smile, like it was just the most normal thing in the world.

“A... puppet?” _Okay, I’m lost. He’s not a Replica... I think._

“Yep! The toymaker Geppetto created me! He wanted a son so badly, he wished on a star. Then the Blue Fairy came and granted his wish since he gave so much happiness to others.” He held a hand to his chest. “She’s the one who gave me a heart.”

Axel could hardly believe what he was hearing, though he had no reason to suspect the boy was lying. _A puppet with a heart who became a real human..._

“My father told me, ‘When you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you. If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star as dreamers do’.”

Axel said nothing. He simply contemplated on those words, which sounded like a prayer.

“But I had to _prove_ myself in order to become real. She told me a boy who won’t be good might just as well be made of wood. I had to be brave, truthful, and unselfish. And I was! I went to rescue my father from the belly of a whale. And when we got back to Traverse Town, I became a real boy!”

Axel looked away from the boy. _He’s more human than I am. I haven’t been living with a conscience, that’s for sure..._

“Well, I’m sure your dad woulda been upset if anything happened to you. Don’t do anything to make him worry.”  
  
“I won’t!” Pinocchio looked up at the sky. “I think I get it now. The Blue Fairy is in our hearts. If we wanna meet her, we just have to make a wish. I’ve gotta head back home now! Thanks again, mister!”

Axel watched Pinocchio leave. _He’s certainly unusual. And he definitely has a strong heart, that’s for sure. But I don’t think he’s quite what Xemnas is looking for._

It was time to call it a day. He created a dark portal and decided to head to Twilight Town.

* * *

He got an ice cream and decided to wait on top of the clock tower for company to arrive.

_If an empty puppet can be granted a heart, then maybe a Nobody really can, too. Still, I'm wary of getting my hopes up. I've been burned by that human emotion back when I had a heart._

Axel absently took a bite.

 _Until Roxas and Xion joined, I never took Xemnas took seriously when he said we'd get hearts of our own one day. I can’t even say that I really wanted a heart all that much. I mean, I guess I probably did. All Nobodies did, of course. But did I_ really _want one?_

_This emptiness I’ve been wrapped in since I became a Nobody— would it really be filled if I gained a heart?_

_Until recently, I wouldn’t have thought so. But lately, I dunno... I’d like to believe it. I don’t know if I can bring myself to have blind faith in what Xemnas says. But maybe it is true. Maybe we’ll all get hearts soon._

_Hearts full of rage...hate...sadness..._

_As a human, I’ve experienced all those emotions. Rage, hate, sadness. Back then, I didn’t mind losing my heart if it meant not experiencing those things anymore. But in a way, the memory of those emotions has been driving me along this whole time. Maybe... I’m getting tired of it._

_...and bliss._

_Bliss. Maybe it’ll possible to feel something like that once again..._

_All he had to do is make a wish on a star, huh?_

Wishing on a star— it wasn’t so dissimilar to this morning's ceremony. All the Nobodies wished on the heart-shaped moon, hoping that one day they’d be granted a heart of their own.

_When you wish upon a star  
Makes no difference who you are  
Anything your heart desires  
Will come to you  
If your heart is in your dream  
No request is too extreme  
When you wish upon a star  
As dreamers do_

He touched his face where his upside-down tear was.

_A heart. I’ve been without one for so long. I didn’t think I needed one, as long as I could hold onto my dream— my wish. I always thought... a heart would just get in the way of that. No heart, no guilty conscience. But now, I’m not so sure._

Axel’s wish was simple— it was a wish he made long, long ago. A wish from the bottom of his heart, back when he still had one. A wish he never wanted to give up on.

Without a heart, would making a wish even mean anything? He couldn’t put his heart in his dream.

 _If_ _I had a heart, then maybe that wish could finally come true some day._

He squinted into the sunset as he waited for Roxas and Xion.

* * *

Isa sat down on the ground of the cavern with his back against the wall. The crystals lit the room up with a soft glow.

Lea sat down next to him. “Another long day... over with. I’m... getting the hang of this, ya know?” He was still trying to catch his breath.

Isa looked away and stared off into space. At length, he spoke up— just thinking out loud. “I wonder... how long things will stay like this...”

Lea turned his head. “Huh? Where’d that come from all of a sudden?”

“I mean, if something happens to one of us. Then... we won’t... be together anymore.” Isa hugged his knees close to himself.

Lea didn’t know what to say to that. He tried to lighten the tense atmosphere. “Man, what’s with all the doom and gloom, Isa? Sheesh, you’re such a downer.” When he saw that Isa wasn’t laughing at all, his scowl deepened.

Silence fell over the pair as they sat side by side.

The thought of not being together anymore was too awful to think about. Lea didn’t have any real solutions, either. What Isa said was true. They could disappear at any time. The odds of being released were slim. Most of the other prisoners had become Heartless already. It was probably for that very reason that Lea decided to say what he did next.

“Oh, I know what it is!” he loudly blurred out all of a sudden.

“...What?” Isa said quietly, looking up at Lea.

“It’s ‘cause summer vacation is almost over! That’s why we’re so bummed! We missed out on our whole break!” Lea slammed his fist into his palm. “On account of that— I have an idea! Next break we get, let’s go to the beach!” 

“The beach?” Isa mumbled at his lap.

“We haven’t had the opportunity to go even once this summer! And now we won’t be able to! Sneaking inside the castle turned out to be a huge drag. So, we gotta make up for it, right?”

Isa didn’t say anything. He continued to stare at his lap.

“Well, don’t you want to go and do something fun together?” Lea got close to Isa’s face. “I know you want to. I can see it all over your face.”

Isa finally looked at him again. “Just the two of us?”

“Bingo!” Lea sounded just as cheerful as he usually did. “Our own little vacation! We can go next time we get a break!”

“I wonder if… we’ll ever get the chance to go.” Isa’s voice came out so small.

“Of course we will, Isa!” Lea told him firmly. “We’ll have a blast, trust me.” He looked down at him with a smile. 

_Next year… Right. Next year there will be another summer vacation. This one is over, but we’ll have next year to try again and have a better one._

He said it to give Isa hope, but just as much to give hope to himself. He needed something to look forward to. It was all he could do to stave off the fear and despair of their situation.

* * *

Finally, Roxas and Xion arrived.

“Hey, you two,” Axel greeted. “How’d work go? Think you can keep pulling off double duty?”

“So far so good,” said Roxas.

Xion was smiling. “Roxas took today's Heartless out in no time flat.”

“Well, great. Keep it up.”

They both sat down next to him and bite into their ice creams.

“All this fighting... I wonder what it’s for,” Roxas finally said, seemingly out of nowhere.

Axel raised an eyebrow. “Come on, you know what it’s for. We have to complete the great Kingdom Hearts. You saw it, too, didn’t you?”

Roxas didn’t seem satisfied though. “But what is Kingdom Hearts?”

“It’s the gathering place of hearts... isn’t it?” Xion asked.

“It’s where all the hearts wind up after they’re released by you. It’s because of you two and the Keyblade that we’re finally making some progress. When we gather enough, we might finally get hearts of our own.” Axel sounded pretty hopeful.

Xion contemplated what Xemnas said. “Hearts shall be made our own...”

“Yeah, but what do we need with it?”

Axel couldn’t understand Roxas’s perspective. “Are you crazy?”

“I just don’t understand why having a heart is so important. Do you?” 

“Kind of a strange time to bring it up...”  
  
Roxas actually brought it up because of his mission. The Beast was fighting so hard, even though he had servants who should have been doing it for him. He must have had an important reason. But Roxas didn’t have that kind of motivation for something as vague and undefined as gaining a heart.

“I just don't see why having a heart is that important, you know.”

Axel could tell he was serious. “Come on, you're wondering about that now?”

“Well, I don’t understand, since I don't have a heart.”

“Roxas...” Xion didn’t know what to say.

Axel didn’t, either. All he could do was reassure him so he’d stay motivated. “We’ll understand once we have our own hearts. That’s why we fight, to find out what it’s about.”

Roxas finally relented. “Okay... I guess you’re right.”

* * *

Day 95.

The organization was seated in the Round Room for yet another meeting.

Saïx’s low voice echoed through the white marble room. “Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free... until they weave together to make Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist.”

Axel thought there was something unsettling about the way Saïx was speaking. It wasn’t any different than how he usually spoke, but today it stood out. He barely even sounded human.

After the short meeting, Xemnas and Xigbar were left alone in the around Room.

“I must become one with Kingdom Hearts. I will become a higher existence. All of my true ambitions begin there,” said Xemnas.

Xigbar chuckled a bit. “I remember. You formed the Organization for a specific reason— round up a bunch of empty husks, hook them up to Kingdom Hearts, then fill them all with the exact same heart and mind. Now that goal is about to be achieved.”

“Once stripped of all individuality they’ll be ripe to do my bidding.”

“Speaking of individuality, Saïx still has a bit too much mind of his own, don’t ya think?”

Xemnas just smiled. “You needn’t worry about that one. His memories are misleading. He may not even realize it, but he has no real individuality any more. He is simply another one of my selves. As long as he is strong, it doesn’t matter what silly ideas he and Axel have. They pose no threat to us.”

“Yet they _did_ take out half our members with their little schemes...”

“It doesn’t matter. He serves a greater purpose.”

“Yeah, yeah. The Keyblade war.” Xigbar shrugged, then disappeared.

* * *

Axel was staring at the moon outside the lobby window.

_I’ve been spending a lot of time with Roxas and Xion lately. But me and Saïx— we haven’t been talking much lately. The more I talk to those two, the more I remember the past. I can’t really talk about it with them, though. I wanna be able to share all of it with Saïx._

“So, Saïx. Looks like all our hard work might finally pay off soon. We may actually get hearts again before much longer. Got any special plans once you’re human again?”

Axel didn’t really know what kind of answer he was expecting. He knew what he _wanted_ to hear, though. He wanted to go to the beach, like they had promised all those years ago. Deep down he hoped that’s what Saïx truly wanted, too. Once they had hearts, they’d be able to sit side by side and happily waste time together again, laughing about stupid stuff.

“All plans proceed smoothly—alarmingly so, in fact, though this is no time to be deterred by paranoia,” Saïx replied dispassionately. “Until Kingdom Hearts is completed, we must not rest on our laurels and become preoccupied with meaningless daydreams.”

 _As robotic an answer as ever. I shoulda known it’d be a waste of time to try and make small talk with him. It’s pretty much as enjoyable as talking to Xemnas._ To keep his thoughts from wandering, Axel asked, “So, what’s on the agenda today?”

“You are to go to Beast’s Castle for recon. We need to be on the lookout for new candidates.”

Just then, Demyx appeared in the lobby. “Here Saïx.” He handed him a piece of paper.

“Do you possibly expect me to accept this?” He looked very annoyed.

“Whaddaya mean?” Demyx replied cluelessly.

“Don’t ‘whaddaya mean’ me. Your report from yesterday is what I mean. A Dusk could have done a better job. It looks like an elementary schooler wrote this. Rewrite it,” he scolded.

It reminded Axel of the way Isa used to help him with his homework. He always needed a good kick in the butt to do it exactly right. 

“Aw c’mon,” Demyx whined. “It’s not like anybody reads those dumb things.” Just then, he noticed Roxas and Xion arrived. “Oh. You guys have a mission? You guys are together all the time these days. You’re like a set.”  
  
Roxas and Xion looked at each other awkwardly.

“So, the Keyblade totally tears through Heartless no prob, right? I’m really bad at fighting. I was thinkin’... It’s like y’know... I hate how it feels to hit stuff.” He clasped his hands together. “Lemme see those Keyblades. Just for a sec. I don’t get a chance like this every day.”

He was trying to stall, but Saïx was interested in observing Roxas and Xion.

Roxas showed Demyx his Keyblade.

“Ooh! That’s awesome!”

“Had enough?” Roxas asked.

“What about you?” He looked at Xion. “C’mon. Don’t be so stingy. Lemme see if it’s differrent from Roxas’s. You should both, like, pose together.”

“Hey.” Axel walked over to Demyx and admonished him. “Don’t you have a report to write? Stop slacking and get to it.”

Saïx stared at Axel hard. His sudden serious work ethic was incredibly suspicious.

“Argh! What _is_ it with you guys!? Trying to make me work! That‘s all you ever think about!” Demyx slumped away to rewrite his report.

Axel turned his attention to Roxas and Xion. “And you. Don’t you have a mission? Get going.”

“R-right. Thanks,” Roxas said as he scampered away quickly.

After he left, Axel noticed that Saïx was still staring at him.

_Uh-oh. Did he figure it out?  
_

Axel left on his mission.

* * *

He arrived at the Beast’s Castle. Roxas and Xion had already reported that some kind of monster lived here. Now, it was his job to scope him out.

He walked through the halls of the quiet and empty castle when he noticed several of the inhabitants talking. He hid behind a corner and listened in.

A young woman holding a mop was pacing around, breathing heavily. She seemed nervous. 

A short clock approached her from behind. “Mademoiselle Belle! It’s dangerous out here!”

So, this must be the strange inhabitants Roxas mentioned.

A candelabra spoke up next. “Please, return to your room! The master will be furious if he finds you here! Again...” he gulped. “I don’t want you both to get into another argument!”

Belle turned her back on the two. “If he wants to be angry, let him get angry. That’s his prerogative. I want to be strong, too. I can’t just sit idly by in my room and do nothing! I’m going to help!”

The clock began stuttering. “B-but...what do you plan to do if those Heartless show up?”

“Why do you think I’m on patrol like this? Leave it to me, I can take care of it. If I see a Heartless, I’ll... I’ll... make it wish it hadn’t! That’s right, I’ll show it who’s boss!”

“O-Oh my!”

Both the candelabra and the clock looked horrified.

Axel could tell from their reactions that she’d clearly never fought a day in her life.

Just then a very large dog-shaped Heartless appeared behind Belle.

_Man, that’s a big one. Roxas is gonna wanna take that one out for sure._

“Run! Hurry!” yelled the little clock.

“Sacre Bleau! Help!”

“Hi-yah!” Belle swung the mop. She quickly realized that wasn’t going to work.

The three ran down the hallway. They were able to get away from the large one, but they were being chased by Shadows.

“Mademoiselle! Behind you!”

_I can’t blow my cover. Looks like they’re on their own._

Just then, the large beast appeared to take on the Heartless. Afterwards, he turned his attention to Belle. “What are you doing!? I told you to wait on your room!” He was shouting, clearly very angry.

“Oh, here we go again...” The clock hung his head.

“You thought you could fight them with a BROOM!?”

“Well, it’s actually a mop...” she said timidly.

“She _is_ rather unique, isn’t she?” The candelabra tried to lighten the tense atmosphere. “Always ready for a little adventure.”

“Her ‘uniqueness’ is gonna get her killed! She doesn’t think anything through!”

“Then the two of you have much in common, sire! You seem made for each other.”

The Beast glared at the candelabra.

“I’m sorry,” Belle said contritely. “You were right. I can see now that you were just worried.”

That answer seemed unexpected. The Beast seemed a bit flustered.

“You’ve been fighting those things all by yourself. I’ve barely seen you lately. I just wanted to help...”

The Beast sighed. “Belle. I’m sorry for yelling at you. But just l-leave the Heartless to me from now on.”

“All right,” she said with a warm smile. “Thank you.”

“Finally they might start getting along again!” The candelabra seemed excited and hugged the clock.

Axel saw all he needed to see. The Beast was very strong. But his heart was even stronger than his body. Just the kind of heart the organization was after.

* * *

“Are you sure you wanna fight, Isa?” 

“Yes! I already told you, I wanna help!”

Isa was smart, competent, and had an excellent work ethic. Lea was always more of a slacker. He hated doing more work than was necessary. Isa would pick up the slack for them in school projects and tutor him. He also kept him out of trouble. But now the situation was reversed. Isa was completely dependent on Lea. And he didn’t like it one bit.

“I can’t just stand around and do nothing while you’re doing all the fighting! Besides, you never know when we might have to split up.”

Lea sighed. “Okay.” He handed Isa his frisbees.

Isa tried fighting a couple of Shadow Heartless. He did the best he could, but the Heartless knocked him over and he dropped the frisbees. “Ahh!” He shielded himself with his arms.

Lea jumped in and picked up a frisbee, defeating the Heartless. “You all right?”

“Yeah.” He sighed deeply. “I... I guess I’m just no good at this.”

Lea gave him a shoulder pat. “S’okay. Here, let me take that.”

Lea defeated the rest of the enemies, making it look effortless.  
  
He brushed the imaginary dust off of him. “There we go. That should do it for today.” He noticed Isa looking dispirited. “Hm? What’sa matter?”

“I just feel ...kinda useless, that’s all. I’ve never felt helpless like this before. It’s... well, embarrassing.” He averted his eyes.

“If it makes you feel better, you’ve always been better at schoolwork than me. Think of this as payback for relying on you so much during those group assignments.” He winked playfully.

“That’s not really the same. This is life and death.” Isa was quiet for a second. “Oh! There’s one more! I’ll get it!”

Lea sighed and handed Isa the toy frisbees. “Put your body into it. Like this.” He tried showing him the motions.  
  
Isa tried to do what Lea was doing. But he still had trouble taking down the single Heartless. He tripped, falling onto the ground. This caused Lea to intervene, defeating it on his behalf.

Lea began snickering under his breath. “What was _that_?” he asked, referring to Isa’s poor form. 

Isa gave him a dirty look. “I coulda done it myself if you’d let me,” he scoffed. “And don’t laugh at me.”

“Whaddaya mean? I wasn’t laughing.” He shrugged haplessly.

“Don’t ‘whaddaya mean’ me,” he scolded. “I heard you just now.”

“Aww, someone’s crabby,” Lea continued to tease him in a baby voice.

“I’m serious.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“I know. I’m out of shape. Okay?” Isa sounded agitated.

Lea was holding in a chuckle. “Don’t feel bad, Isa. Everyone’s good at different stuff.” He didn’t think it was a big deal.  
  
Isa still looked upset.

_Isa’s always been so cool and collected. He’s always been good at most things. There’s something... kinda endearing about his utter incompetence right now. And his insecurity about it._

* * *

“Hey, Axel, you’re early,” said Roxas, snapping Axel out of his memory.

“No, I’m not.” Axel turned, flashing them a grin. “ _You_ two are just late.”

Xion and Roxas sat beside him.

“So another successful day?” asked Axel.

“You know it. I could fill both our quotas with my eyes closed,” Roxas bragged. “Where’d you go today, Axel?”

“The place you guys hit yesterday.”   
  
“You mean the castle with the talking candelabra?” Xion asked.

“That’s the one. They had me doing recon in the doom and gloom. What about you?”

“Heart collection in Agrabah, the usual.”

“You’re really getting the hang of working together, huh?”

As Roxas and Axel chatted away, Xion stared vacantly at the ice cream bar in her hand. For some reason, her anxiety was only growing.

It was Axel who noticed, peering at her downcast face. “What’s up, Xion?”

“I just… don’t know how long we can fool the other members,” she said finally. “They must think it’s weird. We’re the only ones who can use the Keyblade and we’re always together. Anyone can figure out that it would be more efficient to split us up and cover more ground. Soon they’re going to figure out I can’t use the Keyblade…”

“Relax. We’ll be fine,” Roxas encouraged, peering into her face too this time.

Sensing her anxiety, Axel turned away. “I wouldn’t be so sure. They’re not stupid.” _Saïx already knows something is up. I was able to buy them some time but there’s no telling how long he’ll let this go on._

“Do we just cross our fingers?” she mumbled.

No one spoke for a few moments.

Roxas broke the quiet. “Well, maybe we can’t hide it from Saïx and Xigbar forever… But, I mean, _Demyx_ isn’t going to figure it out…”

He said it with such a straight face that Xion burst out laughing. Not that it fixed anything, but he was probably right.

“Whoa, Roxas. That’s harsh. Don’t you say nasty things like that,” said Axel from beside Xion, scratching his head. But he was holding in laughter, too.

“I’m serious, though! Look at him! All he ever does is lie around playing that sitar.” Roxas did seem to be entirely in earnest, which only made it funnier.

“Aww, he’s not that bad. I don’t think you give him enough credit. He works just as hard as—” Axel paused. “Okay, no he doesn’t. But I’m pretty sure he has a job.”

“You know, I’ve seen Demyx out in the field, rocking out on that sitar of his,” said Xion.

“What does that accomplish? Does it actually _do_ anything?” Roxas was actually confused.

_Xemnas only values those who are useful in some way. If you’re not useful, you don’t deserve to live. I don’t view people that way. I never have. But... if Demyx were considered useless, it’d be my job to take care of him. I‘d rather it not come to that._

“Hey, for all you know, he's out there fighting Heartless and doing recon— just the same as you,” Axel scolded.

“But I’ve heard him say fighting wasn’t his thing and he wasnt cut out for combat.” Roxas briefly pondered this. “I guess everyone in the Organization is good at different things.”

“Thats right,” said Axel. “Everyone’s unique. It’s called individuality.”

“But how?” Xion wondered. “We’re Nobodies. Don’t you need a heart to be unique?”

Axel’s face became solemn, though Roxas and Xion didn’t notice. “Oh, I think we have other things that set us apart. Like memories from our past.”

Axel said that like it was obvious, but to Xion, it wasn’t. “What memories?”

Not to Roxas, either. “You remember things from before?”

Axel, in turn, seemed surprised that they didn’t understand. _I figured they’d have been able to remember something by now. They don’t even seem to understand the concept of having a past, though._ “It’s part of what makes us special in the Organization. Unlike lesser Nobodies, we remember our lives as humans.”

“I don’t,” said Roxas.

“Me neither,” Xion added.

Axel scratched his head, letting out a tiny sigh. “Well... maybe that right there is what makes _you_ unique.”

As Xion stared into her lap, perplexed, Roxas kept asking questions. “So, Axel, what were you like when you were human?”

Xion glanced up at Axel, too, eager to see his reaction.

“Me…?” At a loss, he shrugged. “Oh, I dunno… Same guy, more or less. I think I’ve always been pretty much the same.” It wasn’t a total lie. Axel couldn’t go into detail with them about his past, or about his job. He _had_ changed from his human days. But a part of him was still the same. His wish hadn’t changed. It would never change. It was why he was still here in the organization.

“Lucky,” said Roxas. “I wish I could remember.”

“Yeah,” Xion murmured. Axel was fortunate to have memories.

“Really? Trust me, you’re not missing much,” Axel said flatly. “It’s only baggage.”

“But I can’t remember anything…” Roxas dropped his gaze. “Not even my first week as a Nobody.”

“Man, whatever. You have trouble remembering things from five seconds ago,” Axel remarked.

“Hey!” The wisecrack lightened the mood, which had been veering toward dismal.

“I’m like you, Roxas,” Xion told him. “I don’t remember the beginning. Or before that.”

“You two sure have a lot in common,” said Axel.

“I wonder what I was like before…” Roxas mused.

_What would happen if I told him the truth? No, I can’t. If he found out about Sora or Ventus... he’d have too many questions. I can’t let that happen._

From their perch on the clock tower, they squinted into the sunset.


	10. Day 96: Friends

“Good morning, Roxas.”

“Morning,” he managed with a huge yawn.

But before anything else could be said, Saïx appeared beside them. “Xion, Roxas. I need you on separate missions today.”

She felt something clench in her chest. “What? Why?”

“Two major Heartless targets have surfaced in two different worlds,” Saïx explained. “Roxas, you take the Beast’s castle, and Xion, you’ll go to Agrabah.”

“But…” Xion trailed off and looked helplessly at Roxas, but he was no better off than her.

“What? Is that inconvenient for you?” Sometimes he would give someone such an icy stare that it would give them the chills.

“Err... No... that’s fine...”

As Xion wavered, Axel inserted himself between them. “Whoa, you’re gonna send Roxas to the Beast’s castle? I dunno…”

Xion looked to him for salvation.

He glanced her way with a tiny nod. “I mean, I was just there yesterday for recon,” Axel went on. “I saw that Heartless you’re talking about and it was reeeeeeally strong. You don’t want to pit either of them against that. Not by themselves.”

Saïx didn’t say anything, but the atmosphere got a little bit more tense.

“Yup. I say it’d be impossible for either of ‘em to get that thing on their own. I mean, even I thought I was a goner there _all by my lonesome_. In fact, I’m practically outta commission today because of that thing. So there’s no way these kids would stand a chance. You wanna add to our being short-handed?”

“And? Are you trying to tell me to let them go together?” Saïx turned to him, irritated. “It’s not like you to concern yourself with the well-being of others, Axel.” He glared at him hard.

“Yeah? So?”

“If I send them both, who’s going to take care of Agrabah?”

“I will. Then there’s no problem, right?” Axel’s voice dropped ever so slightly. 

“You, handle Agrabah’s Heartless? Can you really defeat it?”

“Sure. I’m a big boy.” The look on Saïx's face told Axel he wasn't convinced. “It’ll be fine. I’m tough, you know.”

 _So, he thinks bringing_ that _up is going to help him?_ “Except you can’t collect hearts,” Saïx said bluntly. “Which is why—”

“Why I’ll keep the Heartless in check, and they can hit it another day,” Axel finished for him.

Roxas jumped in before Saïx could find any fault with the idea. “That should be okay, right, Saïx?”

He scowled as if he couldn’t think of anything more unpleasant than this conversation. The scar between his eyebrows furrowed. “Fine. Do as you wish. But today is the last day. Starting tomorrow, you both work solo.”

“Got it.” Relieved, Roxas nodded and turned to Xion.

She nodded in response.

Axel got close to Xion and said in a hushed tone, “Looks like you bought yourself another day.”

“I dunno about this...” Xion whimpered.

“Okay, Xion. Let’s go.”

“Right.” She followed Roxas into the Corridors of Darkness.

After watching them go, Axel stretched and turned to Saïx, expecting to see a scowl. But the expression had left Saïx’s face, leaving him as dispassionate as usual.

 _Of course, he had been faking it in the first place. Nobodies have no hearts; they only imitate what emotions they remember. The very proof of our emptiness and how desperately we each long for a heart. I probably do the same thing himself without noticing, and yet, for some reason, when Saïx does it—or actually, any of the others—it seems so out of place._ _Maybe because it makes me realize how much effort we put into acting like we’re still human. It’s pointless._

“Don’t think for a minute I believed that,” Saïx muttered, finally meeting his stare.

“Believed what?”

“That pathetic performance. It was quite forced.”

“What is this about?” asked Axel, cracking his neck.

“I’m not all that impressed.”

Suddenly, Axel realized exactly what he was referring to. His expression instantly deflated. “Uh-huh, well, I’d better get going to Agrabah.” Axel started walking before Saïx could launch into a diatribe and vanished into the corridors.

* * *

Axel let out a bone-deep sigh as he lay eyes on the giant Heartless he would have to fight. It was called the Antlion and it let out sand-based attacks before burrowing underground, then attacking once it came up.

“Blech!” Axel spit out sand that had gotten into his mouth. “This Heartless must be what's casusing the sandstorms!”

Axel really was outmatched against the Antlion, especially on his own. He was getting his butt kicked.

Once again the Antlion retreated underground. This time, it didn’t come back up. It seemed like it was finally done for the day. This would buy Agrabah—and Roxas and Xion—some time.

Axel slumped through the desert ruins, rubbing his sore backside. “Ugh. I’m not used to taking on something so massive. Owww, my ass.”

He made his way the roof of a building on the outskirts of town. It offered a nice view of the oasis. _It’d be nice to take a vacation here._ _But a break will have to do for now._

Down below, a few familiar faces were having a difficult time. Axel recognized them from his earlier mission with Roxas when they tailed Pete and discovered the cave.  
  
“Oh no, not another one! Take cover Jasmine!” the young man said, coughing.

“Aladdin!” She knelt beside him.

“I’m okay!”

After helping him up, Jasmine clutched onto her hood. “...If Genie were around... I know he could stop the sandstorms in the blink of an eye.”  
  
 _Genie,_ Axel thought. _He and this Aladdin guy were the ones that Roxas and Xion were talking about before. Aladdin didn’t want Genie’s help, apparently._

“Jasmine, we’ve already talked about this,” he chided.

As Axel watched them, someone appeared beside him. “Oh, hey, you have the same clothes as those two kids.”

 _He must be talking about Roxas and Xion._ Axel beheld the strange person. He was large and blue. “Who are you supposed to be?”

“The name’s Genie! Formerly ‘of the lamp’.”

_Oh, so he’s the guy Aladdin and Jasmine were talking about. No wonder they talked about him like he was some kinda miracle worker. He ain’t even human._

“I’m a wish granter— well, ex-wish granter, to be more precise.”

“Wish granter?” _A Genie that can grant any wish..._ Axel had his own wishes he’d like granted. But this Genie wasn’t a wish granter anymore, according to what he’d just said.

“Yep! Your wish is my command! You know the story, rub the lamp, a genie comes out, gives you three wishes. Anything your heart desires, I grant! But only for those who rub the lamp!”

_So, that’s what that lunkhead was looking for... it was real. But the Genie is free now, so there probably is nothing there in that cave anymore. Nothing important there for the organization to find, either._

The Genie continued. He seemed to like to hear himself talk. “But I’m through with that gig. Now I’m a free man! And it’s all thanks to Al! He coulda wished for anything in the world! An unthinkable amount of riches or fame? To be sultan? His own planet? Nope. He made me a promise. And he used his last wish on little ol’ me. And now... I’m free. He’s my sun, my moon, and my star! My savior! My best friend...”

_That’s right. Roxas did mention they were best friends._

Carpet handed Genie a handkerchief to wipe eyes.

“Thanks, pal.”

“So, what brings you here?” Axel asked.

“Been traveling to all kinds of worlds lately, doing a little world tour. But I’ve been worried about Al. All these sandstorms have been destroying the place, but he said he doesn’t want my help!” Genie glanced down at the outskirts of town where Al and Jasmine were busy cleaning up debris. “Look at him... he’s falling apart. I can have the place sparkling... with a simple blink of my eyes.” He began to tear up again.

Axel leaned his face on his palm. “Why dont ya just talk to him?”

“You know what? You’re right! First I’ll use the element of surprise— sneak up on him from behind! Cover his eyes and say ‘guess who’! Then I’ll make his day!”

“Do you think Genie... will ever come back?” Jasmine asked reluctantly.

“Jasmine,” Aladdin responded wearily.

“I’m serious. We can’t take any more of this.” Jasmine clutched onto Aladdin, getting really close to his face, practically shouting. “I know Genie would help us! Surely you can at least ask, right? You guys are friends aren’t you?”

“And that’s my cue!!” Genie was just about to make his grand entrance when Aladdin’s next words stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Of course we’re friends... That’s exactly why I can’t run to him for help. I can’t use our friendship as an excuse to rely on him to fix everything.”

It reminded Axel of his own situation. Just recently, he’d been sent to Castle Oblivion and asked to figure things out all on his own. Without even receiving a day off, he was back to work. And soon after, he had been asked to come up with the solution for Xion losing her Keyblade. And now he had to step in and take on a tough Heartless to bail them out. Friends needed to lean on each other. But it sure felt like he was being asked to fix _everything_ lately.

“He’s finally free,” Aladdin continued. “He’s been making other people’s wishes come true for so long. Now he finally has time to do what he wants. It’s been Genie’s dream for a long time to go sightseeing. He’s on vacation having the time of his life. What right do I have to constantly burden him with Agrabah’s problems? We’ll do our best without using magic. Trust me! We can do this!”

_A best friend. Someone who puts your needs ahead of his own._

“I understand. You’re right. I’m sorry,” Jasmine relented.

“That’s okay.” And with those words, both of them walked back to the Marketplace.

The Genie hunched over and began sniffling into his handkerchief. “What’s Al saying? Look what I’ve done! I’ve made them both worry about me like that! Oh, Al... how can you worry about me when you’re going through such a hard time yourself?”

Axel knew the answer. _Because they’re best friends..._

The Carpet patted Genie on the back for comfort.

“Uh... Didn’t you want to talk to him?”

Genie turned his back, wiping his eyes. He was smiling this time. “That guy doesn’t need me. He’s working really hard to do this on his own... I can’t rain on his parade. What kind of best friend would I be if I did? I just gotta... respect his wish. He doesn’t want my help. Oh, boy. Here comes the water works again.”

There were the words again. “Best friend”. Just like Roxas and Xion asked about the other day. Despite Aladdin being a thief, he was actually pretty serious, so he and Genie made a good pair. Kinda like a balance— where Aladdin was calm, Genie was boisterous. It was similar to how Lea used to be with his own best friend.

Axel was getting exasperated at this point. “Oh, brother. Man, don’t you see?”

He turned around. “Huh...? See what?”

“He _does_ need you. The only reason he says he wants to do everything on his own is ‘cause he thinks it’ll cause you trouble.”

“He thinks if I helped him it would be... too much trouble? How could I have been so blind? All he wants is to grant MY wishes. Oh, Al. Only a best friend would say such a thing.”

“Right. He didn’t wish for you not to help. He wished for your _freedom_. He wants you to do whatever you want to do. So. You wanna just sit by and watch him struggle?”

“Of course not!!”

“So give the poor guy a break already.”

“You know what? You’re absolutely right! I wanna help Al _because_ I’m free! If you can’t rely on your friends in this kind of situation, when _can_ you rely on them?”

Next to Genie, the Carpet moved its body like it was nodding.

“Now then, my best friend is all torn up over me! And a best friend can’t just sit on the sidelines and do nothing while his pal’s in trouble. Help on this level is something only I can do! I doubt he’d mind a teensy-weensy speck of help as long as he doesn’t find out about it!”

The Genie unleashed a huge burst of sparkling magic. Glimmering shards rained down over the town, like snowfall. The sandstorm vanished in an instant. And once Roxas and Xion took care of the Antlion, the sandstorms would be no more.

“Wow...” Axel marveled at the ease with which Genie handled things. It really was taken care of in the blink of an eye. No trouble at all.

The Genie was floating up in the air, practically dancing with joy. “If I hadn’t shown up when I did, the whole city might be buried in sand right about now! But hey, what are best friends for?” Genie got close to Axel and put his arm around his neck. “Thanks for your advice, pal!”

_He sure is friendly all of a sudden..._

“It’s nice having a genie for a friend, huh? Al ain’t never had a friend like me before! And I’ve never had one like him! There! They won’t have to worry about any more sandstorms!”

“So, you aren’t gonna tell them?”

“Nah. I’m gonna leave those two lovebirds alone. I’ll check on them tomorrow. Later, alligator!” And then as quickly as he appeared, he vanished.

The magic sparkles were still falling over the town and the oasis.

Axel watched them fall and when they vanished, he went back to Twilight Town. 

* * *

Atop the clock tower, Axel absently watched the sunset. He let out a long sigh. His body was still a bit achy from the mission. He wasn’t used to engaging Heartless of that level.

_Being sent to Agrabah alone was all well and good, except for the part when it slammed me into the ground. Looking out for other people when I can’t even take care of myself—this isn’t like me at all. What am I even doing? Why?_

He remembered the conversation he’d had with Roxas the other day after the ceremony under the heart-shaped moon. 

_“But don’t you ever stop and wonder? We’re fighting for something we don’t know anything about.”_

_“Roxas... We’re fighting because we want to know what it’s about.”_

_Why? Why do we fight? Who is it all for? Everyone needs a reason to fight._

* * *

“That’s... a really big Heartless...” Isa gazed in terror at the massive monster with a heart-shaped chasm in its chest.

This being was a pureblood Heartless known as an Invisible. It was carried a large blade and was quite fast. There was no telling where it came from. It chased them no matter where they went. Ignoring it wasn’t an option, and neither was running away.

“Ahhh!”

Lea threw himself on top of Isa to shield him and took a serious blow to the side of his chest.  
  
“Lea! Are you okay!?” He stared up at Lea who was on top of him. He seemed to be in a lot of pain.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Look, more importantly…” He jerked his chin towards the white door behind them. “Go, hurry.”

“What? But you’re hurt…”

“I said go.”

“No! It’s way too strong, even for you! There’s no way you can take it on all by yourself!” _Lea’s going to die if he stays here. It’s all my fault. If I was stronger, I could stay and help him. It’s all because I can’t pull my own weight._

“If you try and help, you’ll just be in the way, Isa! Besides, I don’t have to defeat it, you know. I’m just gonna keep it in check for now so it won’t chase you!”

Isa was still reluctant to leave him.

“Go!” 

“But... what about you? You can’t face it on your own.”

Lea placed one of his discs in Isa’s hand. “I _won’t_ be alone. You’ll be right here fighting beside me.”

The discs were part of a matching pair. So, it would be like they were fighting together, even though they were apart.

Isa could feel a little bit of warmth from his hand on the disc.

“The small ones aren’t tough, trust me. Just whack 'em. I know you can handle it. But I got my hands full with this big one! I’ll catch up with you as soon as I take care of it!”

“But how are you gonna fight it with just one?”

“Please, Isa. I’m counting on you to take care of the quota for the day while I keep this one in check. I _need_ you for this.”

“Why? Why are you doing this for me?” He looked at Lea pleadingly.

The question confused him. _Why am I doing this? It’s just too funny. Hadn’t really thought about it. How should I know? It’s simply because... my heart is telling me to. That’s all._ “Why? What do you need a reason for? Just go! I’ll catch up with you later!”

“Are you sure you can handle this?”

“You could pretend to have a _little_ faith in me.”

But Isa’s expression remained worried.

“I’ll be alright. I’m tough.” He smiled softly.

“… See you later,” Isa said hesitantly.

Lea nodded quietly. “See you later, Isa.” _This might be the last time I ever see him._

Isa looked back at Lea one last time and ran.

 _That was a lie,_ Lea thought to himself. _This Heartless is way outta my league. I’m at a pretty overwhelming disadvantage. Well, I already knew that when I made this choice._

Lea was getting beaten pretty badly. The only thing keeping him alive was his speed. It allowed him to quickly dart out of the way of incoming attacks. “Argh!” he yelled as he was slammed on the ground. He was huffing and puffing.

_I think I might be a goner..._

He looked at the red frisbee lying next to him. Somewhere, Isa was fighting on his own.

Lea picked himself up, grabbed the disc, and ambled toward his foe.

 _I can hardly feel the pain anymore._ _I don’t think it’s because this wound is healing… I think it’s just because I’m getting close to the end. I’m fading out._

Two more small Shadow Heartless appeared after the Invisible struck its blade into the floor.

“Really? Freakin’ Heartless...”

Lea took a single deep breath, clutching his frisbee in his hand. Then he sprang into the air.

_I don’t want to disappear. I can’t disappear now. I shouldn’t have to disappear at all. Why am I doing all this? Who is it for?_

_The reason I fight. I hadn’t thought about it before but... It’s for Isa… for his sake... That’s why I’m doing this..._

No matter how many he eliminated, more Heartless poured out from the floor as if from some inexhaustible source.

 _Any more than this and I don’t think I’ll be able to move._ _No point in having any regrets now. Fighting or not fighting. The end will be the same either way._  
  
This was the first time Isa would have to truly fight. Lea imagined Isa fighting beside him. He’d like to fight beside him for real some day. But it seemed like it was too late for that.

 _I wish we had talked more, about lots of things. About nothing. I should have said so much more to him._ _I wanted to say so much more to him. I wanted to tell him... how I felt._

There was no longer any need for hesitation, or escape, or uncertainty. Everything was for Isa.

_It doesn’t look like I’ll ever be able to go home, or to the beach. I’m sorry, Isa. I wanted to protect you, but if I’m gone, you probably won’t last much longer, either.  
_

_I don’t know where I’ll go when I disappear, but there is somewhere I want to go. And... someone I want to see._

_The Heartless just disappear when they’re defeated. I wonder where the hearts they stole go? Maybe they’ll just go back where they came from. Maybe I will, too._

With a running leap, Lea plunged himself into the center of the horde of Heartless.

 _Where we come from… Where we’ll go... Where we belong..._ _if that is by Isa’s side, I’d be happy. That’s where I belong. Wherever that is, that’s home._

While in midair, he spread his arms wide and turned his face upward.

_The last of your strength… Give it to me. Share with me the strength for the end… Isa._

Flames erupted in a blaze of glory, surging into an immense wave of fire swirling around him. It seared through the Heartless. He’d heard about magic before. But this was his first time ever using it. It would probably be his last, too. Still, it was an amazing sight. The fire forged from his and Isa’s bond. Their bond of flame.

_It feels a little like I have Isa right by my side. Very near… somewhere very close._

This was well and truly the last of his strength. The final reserves of whatever held him together. And all that strength fled from his body as he collapsed on the floor. His sight was already going dark.

_If I wake up… I hope I can see Isa. I just want to see him again. That’s it. That’s all I want. Just that. I hope I can see him. No—I know I will. 'Cause we’re best friends._

The next thing he remembered was opening his eyes. He was lying in some body of water. Above him was a large crystal clear, but cloudy blue sky with a sun peeking through. It was so beautiful. He’d never seen such a beautiful sky before.

Lea had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like wherever he was, there _was_ no time. He lay there in the water for a split second— or maybe an eternity. He didn’t know and it didn’t matter. He felt no pain from his wound. Just an overwhelming sense of peace. 

_This must be the next life..._

As he lay still, he heard a voice in the distance. A familiar voice. It was calling his name.

Suddenly, he fell through the water and sunk far, far to the bottom. He landed softly on a large stained glass circle. It was red. A painting of himself and Isa were depicted, lying down as if they were asleep, facing opposite directions. Their positions looked like Yin and Yang.

As Lea lay on his back on this strange floor, he stared upwards. There was no sky here. Nothing but pitch black as far as he could see. Then, he saw a tiny pinpoint of red light above and it slowly got closer and closer until he was engulfed by it.

* * *

Axel sighed heavily looking up at the red sky. Clouds floated above vaguely reminiscent of the ones he saw in his dream back then. Where had he gone? That place with the large blue sky. Then the stained glass. The red light piercing through the darkness. Where _was_ that?

Was it even a dream? It felt like one, yet at the same time, it didn’t feel like one. It was more crisp, more vivid. Dreams are forgettable. When you wake up from a dream, the feeling doesn’t last long before it slips from your mind. But that place? He had never forgotten it. It was still so detailed in his memory. Maybe he really had returned from the afterlife after that selfless action.

 _“Well, I think you can be inseparable, even if you’re apart. It’s like, if you_ feel _really close to each other. Like best friends.”_

He thought back to Sora’s memory he witnessed in Castle Oblivion.

_“Kairi, even if we’re apart, we’re not alone anymore. Right?”_

Sora’s connection with Kairi was able to save him. She was his light within the darkness. He was able to hold onto his feelings, even after he became a Heartless. That’s why Axel was so interested in him. They really did have something in common.

A dark portal yawned open behind him, though he didn’t notice it.

“Hey, Axel!”

“Whoa! Where’d you come from?”

Roxas popped out, fresh from the corridors, with Xion right behind him. “How was your mission?”

Axel scrunched up his face unconsciously. “Oh, loads of fun... Would it kill the Heartless to hold still? Threw me flat on my butt while I was chasing the stupid thing,” he complained, dramatically rubbing a sore spot to emphasize his point.

Roxas had to laugh. “Oh yeah? Didn’t I hear you tell Saïx you were tough?”

“Yeah, whatever, that's got nothing to do with it. Those are two different things.” He tried to change the subject. “What about you? How did your mission go?”

Roxas turned to Xion. “Ta-daa!” he sang, as the Keyblade appeared in her hand.

“Oh—” _Maybe there’s something they’re not telling me about this Keyblade stuff._

“Roxas, Axel, thank you,” Xion declared, beaming, and let the Keyblade wink out again.

“Me? I didn’t do anything,” Axel protested in a sullen tone.

“Sure you did! You made it possible for us to go on a mission together.”

Axel knew she meant it, but he looked away. _When I’m smiled at with such a happy look… I feel uncomfortable._

“If it weren’t for you, Xion might not have remembered how to use the Keyblade,” Roxas added.

Then he and Xion both spoke at once: “Thank you, Axel.”

_That, right there— This is why… this feeling is so hazy._

Axel scratched his head and turned away. Sora’s words in Castle Oblivion replayed in his mind.

_“So I promised her... From now on, I’ll bring you good luck. I’ll keep you safe.”_

_“Naminé just smiled and said, ‘Thanks.’ And then she gave me this.”_

_“There! That’s it! That’s the Naminé I remember. Yeah... I really liked it when you used to smile.”_

“Well… how about buying me a sea-salt ice cream, then?”

“Huh?” Roxas blurted, confused by the request when Axel couldn’t even meet their eyes.

But that was the only concession Axel could give them. _Don’t think I can take any more of those thank-you’s._ “Buy me one, and we’ll call it even.”

Xion and Roxas exchanged a glance.

The request reminded Roxas of their first mission together. What was it Axel said? The icing on the cake was a reward for working so hard. Roxas had treated Xion to ice cream the day he learned she could also wield the Keyblade. But that’s all Axel wanted? It was the same thing he got every day.

She jumped to her feet. “It’s on me! I’ll be right back!”

The sun sank lower and lower as Axel watched, his mind wandering.

 _I feel like I’ve been spending more time talking to Roxas and Xion lately than my old friend, Saïx. This has to have been what it was like, friendship._

He remembered those days sitting on the clock tower. Just wasting time, talking about nothing, and watching the sunset. 

_If you stare at the sunset, the image burns itself into your eyes, and it feels like you can see the sunset, even with your eyes shut._ _A phantom sunset._ _The reason the sunset is red… who was it that told me that?_

It seemed insignificant, but for some reason that question was bothering him. 

Xion finished her sea-salt ice cream and took a deep breath in satisfaction. “Mm. That was yummy.”

“Was it? Roxas doesn’t seem to like his,” Axel teased, noting that Roxas was the only one with any ice cream left.

“I’m _savoring_ it. Xion treated us. I’m not going to scarf it down in two seconds.” Roxas contemplated the single bite left on his stick.

“But she was only supposed to treat me.”

Axel was just needling him, but Xion replied sincerely, “No, I wanted to thank both of you.”

The train blew its whistle in the distance. Silence fell over the trio.

* * *

“Whoa!” Isa marveled at what he saw when he returned to the place he left Lea after hearing a massive explosion.

The giant Heartless was gone. The only thing left was Lea, lying on the floor. Tiny flames smoldered in the air surrounding him—well, more like dying embers. 

Isa ran towards him, then fell on his knees beside him. He peered into his face. He felt his heart race as tears welled up in his eyes. “Lea! Wake up! Please! Can you hear me?” _No, he can’t be gone. He has to wake up. I... I need him to stay with me. I won’t let him go._ He wished with all his heart for Lea to wake up.

Lea slowly opened his eyes, seeing Isa’s face above him. “Isa... you’re here.” He almost looked a bit delirious. 

“Are you okay!? Your clothes are on fire!” He tried patting down some of the flames.

 _Looks like I’m back in the real world._ “Guess I...put a little too much energy into that attack, huh?” A smirk curled one corner of his mouth as he looked up at Isa.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you took it out,” Isa said, helping Lea onto his feet.

“Of course. I’m tough,” he boasted puffing out his chest. “That was _nothing_. I told you I could handle it. Why, the dumb thing barely even put up a fight. One hit from me and it was toast.” Lea told his story with exaggerated hand gestures.

Isa could tell he was putting on a bit of a performance for him. He wasn’t _that_ tough. He seemed to barely survive. But Isa wasn’t about to take the wind out of his sails. He knew Lea liked praise.

“You took it out in one hit? WOW! I gotta say, Lea, _that’s_ impressive.” Isa kept on clapping dryly as he laid it on thick.

Lea basked in the glory of the moment, but he no longer had the strength to stand and felt his legs giving out. He fell to the floor. “Oooh. That’s where it hit me. Ow. Ow.” He clutched onto his side.

“You’re injured?” Isa asked worriedly.

“Nah, I’ll be fine. Just got that cheap shot in the first time.”

 _Right. When he protected me._ Isa knelt down beside him and looked him directly in the eyes. “You took on that Heartless all by yourself for me.”

“Heh. Yeah.” A little flustered, Lea tried to change the subject. “So, it looks like you were able to fight, too.”

“Because of you, I was able to fight.” He looked at frisbee in his hand. The little red fireball did remind him of Lea. “You were right. I _wasn’t_ alone. The whole time, I felt you there fighting by my side. I wasn’t afraid anymore. It was like...our hearts were connected.”

_Our hearts were connected, huh? Yeah. I felt it, too. You were right there beside me._

Isa took Lea’s hand in his own. He could feel the warmth, just like earlier when he held onto the frisbee. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here.” His voice contained the deepest sincerity and the smile he wore was one of uncomplicated joy.

 _It's pretty rare for Isa to smile like this_. _Actually, I’ve never seen him smile at me like this..._

 _I_. _..like it._

Looking at Isa’s smiling face, Lea turned away, scratching his head. _I feel so happy right now._ “I am _so_ flattered. You compliments actually seem sincere today. That has to be a first.”

“Thank you,” he gushed, unable to express his appreciation any other way. “Thank you.”

Lea took one more look at Isa’s smile and had to look away again. In that moment, he truly felt like a hero. That was all he wanted. “Whaddaya keep thanking me for, dumbass? Of course I’m gonna keep you safe. You’re my friend.”

“You know, Lea. I’ve been thinking about what you said the other day.”

“Huh?”

“I really wanna go to the beach with you.”

A big smile formed on Lea’s face. “Blue sea, blue skies.”

_Just like that place from my dream._

_Maybe that’s all it is; just a hopeless wish... But I hope we’ll always be together, just like this._

* * *

“I hope we can always be together like this,” said Roxas optimistically.

Xion nodded. “Yeah… Me too.”

Axel waved his arm with the ice cream in it. “What’s all that about?”

“I just…want these days to last forever,” Roxas murmured, slow and pensive. “Hanging out after the job’s done, eating ice cream, watching the sunset…”

Axel peered at his profile as he did just that. The sunset’s glow touched Roxas’s face and Xion’s with warm red. It looked familiar in a way. “Well, nothing lasts forever, you know,” Axel mumbled, looking off to the side again. “Least of all for a bunch of Nobodies.” 

At that, both of their expressions fell.

 _Seriously, you two? You’re always grinning or getting bummed out…just like real live people with hearts._ Axel exhaled and gathered some words. “But, you know, hanging out every day isn’t the only thing that matters. We’ll still have each other, even if that changes.”

“Really?” Roxas perked up.

“Yeah. Even if we don’t see each other, it’s more important that we think about each other all the time, anyway, right? As long as we keep each other in our thoughts, none of us will ever have to be apart. Got it memorized?”

Axel smiled at them. That smile hid how he was truly feeling.

Roxas grinned. “Wow, that was so not you.”

“Hey!” Axel shoved Roxas in a teasing manner.

“Who are you, and what have you done with Axel?” Roxas began laughing.

“I tried, okay?” _All that effort to cheer them up, and he just turned it into a punch line._ Chagrined, he looked away. _Those words were meant to make them feel better, but… if I went into that, I’d look weak. I don’t really believe what I’m saying. But that’s what Isa said to me. He said it to make me feel better. It didn’t really work, but I don’t have any other answers to give them._

Xion burst into giggles, and then, as if it was contagious, Roxas started laughing, too.

“Oh, c’mon, it’s not that funny!” Axel scolded. _This is really freakin' embarrassing._

They paused, looked at each other, and giggled again.

“I don’t know why I put up with this…”

“But, I mean…it just didn’t sound like you, Axel.” Xion could barely hold in laughter long enough to get the words out.

Roxas and Xion continued to laugh. They didn’t notice the lonely expression on Axel’s face.

Axel was quiet. Usually, he didn’t mind a bit of teasing, but today, he didn’t laugh. He just gazed out at the sunset.

_A wish that we could always be together—is longing for the impossible. But at least we can always remember one another._   
_  
And yet…if that isn’t to be, either, what can you do? That’s just the way things go._


	11. Day 117: Secrets & Day 118: Lazy Day

It was the 117th day.

Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saix were the only ones present in the Round Room for an early morning meeting.

“Axel said he has no idea of Naminé or the hero of light’s whereabouts,” Saïx said dispassionately.

Xemnas considered it. “Xion can absorb memories the memories of others by fighting alongside them. Maybe we’ll learn if he’s hiding something that way.”

“We can’t rule out the possibility that Naminé might be able to view those memories as well,” Xigbar added.

Xemnas didn’t seem worried. “It doesn’t matter. The absorption process has been proceeding smoothly. After prolonged exposure to Roxas, Xion’s fighting style should closely resemble the hero’s now.”

Xigbar rested his head on his palm. “Let’s not forget, when Naminé began toying with Sora’s memories in Castle Oblivion, Roxas fell into a deep sleep.”

“That is correct,” Xemnas responded. “The same thing might happen to Xion. Saïx."

Saïx raised his head upon hearing his name. “Yes, sir.”

“I’d like you to keep an eye on Xion for me. If anything happens, report it to me immediately.”

“Sir.”

* * *

The moon hung in the sky outside the window, a great glowing heart. 

Sprawled in bed, Axel stared at it without really looking, idling the time away before he had to leave on a mission.

_“We will conquer hearts and make them our own. Hearts shall never again have power over us.”_

For the past few days, he’d been mulling over what Xemnas could have meant by that speech.

_Hearts having power over us? What was that about?  
_

Whenever he was by himself, that phrase kept bouncing around in his head. He didn’t know what was so compelling about it.

_Do the other Nobodies think about stuff like this? Probably not. Hearts, emotions… I can’t stop wondering where it all comes from. I think about it. Contemplate it. Reason about it. When did I start doing this?_

But he did know the answer to that question.

_I’ve probably just been pretending I haven’t realized it. These thoughts have been occupying me ever since Roxas joined the Organization—or rather, Roxas and Xion. Those two have lobbed so many questions at me as they’ve grown as Nobodies. Is it just their curiosity that has me thinking so much?_

But it didn’t just start when they joined the Organization. It was after he’d gotten to know Xion, after Castle Oblivion.

_Whatever the catalyst, I have to acknowledge that something in me is different. The old me wouldn’t have wondered about all this. I’m changing. But why?_

_Talking to Roxas and Xion always brings back memories of my human life, back when I was a kid. What was it Naminé said?_

_“When you remember one thing, that leads to remembering another—and then another and then another. Our memories are connected. Many pieces are linked together like they’re in a chain—that makes up each of us.”_

_It does feel like that’s been happening to me lately. I’ve been remembering all sorts of stuff. I dunno. Why am I even thinking about this?_ _I called it ‘contemplating’, but it’s just rambling._

His train of thought carried on on until suddenly he felt someone else with him. Irritated, he sat up in bed. “Ever heard of knocking? You should try it sometime.”

Saïx was standing there beside his bed.

Axel decided not to look at him and focused on a random point on the wall.

But Saïx made no sign of noticing or caring one way or the other about Axel’s attitude. His voice was as dispassionate as ever. “Tell me what Xion has been doing.”

“How should I know?” Axel retorted. “It’s not like I follow her around all day and spy on her.”

“But you do seem quite close.”

Axel considered why Saïx would be so interested in Xion. _I already know what makes Roxas special—namely, being the Keyblade master’s Nobody. But I still have no definite answers as to what might set Xion apart. And while I wouldn’t mind having some, I’m certain of one thing: asking Saïx for answers is an exercise in futility. So, he won’t get any answers from me, either._

He got up to face Saïx with a sudden harsh movement. “What, so I’ve gotta rat on my friends to you? If you don’t need anything, get out of my room.”

_Speaking of things that have changed, my relationship with Saïx has, too. It must have changed a bit since I started hanging out with Roxas and Xion. Although I can’t say exactly what about it is different._

“You and Xion will be working together on the same mission today,” said Saïx.

“Well, thank you so much, sir, for coming all this way to tell me.”

“I want you to watch Xion.”

“What? Is she s’posed to _do_ something?”

“All I want is for you to observe Xion’s behavior and fighting patterns and report it to me.”

“Whatever.” He couldn’t wait for Saïx to leave.

Saïx glared at Axel, their eyes meeting briefly. “We’ll also need you to go back to Castle Oblivion.”

Axel turned to look at him directly, his lip curling. “We? So that came from our fearless leader, did it?”

Saïx, of course, didn’t answer that. “The castle hasn’t given up all its secrets. And there is one in particular that Lord Xemnas is especially interested in.”

“You mean that chamber again?” Axel asked. “We turned the place inside out and upside down. If it’s there, we’re not gonna find it by just looking.”

The all-but-permanent scowl on Saïx’s face relaxed just a bit. “Then let me give you another incentive. Naminé isn’t the only one who can trace her beginnings to Castle Oblivion. Xion came from there, too.” He paused, but Axel gave him no response. “Two of your favorite people,” Saïx went on. “Still think another visit is a waste of time?”

 _There it is, the dangling bait. To bite without making Saïx work for it would be so boring, though._ Axel snorted a tiny laugh. “Whatever. Sounds like you’re the one who’s so interested in Castle Oblivion. Let me guess… That chamber will tell you everything you want to know about Xemnas’s true agenda. Is that about the size of it?”

Saïx was convinced that whatever secret Xemnas was keeping involved Kingdom Hearts. Staring at the heart-shaped moon outside the window, he replied, “There is something Xemnas isn’t telling us about his plans. The missing chamber, the Chamber of Waking—it holds all the answers.” Then he turned to fix a level stare on Axel. “Those answers will give us the upper hand—and then we can worry about our own plans.”

 _Yeah, I know. Our plans. That part won’t change._ Axel let out a breath. “Look, I knew Vexen and Zexion would cause trouble for you. That’s why they’re not around anymore.”

_That sounded more like I’m justifying it to myself. Our lack of hearts doesn’t render our actions meaningless. It’s not as if we never think carefully or act without objectives in mind. Humans and Nobodies alike pursue our own purposes._

“The dirty work doesn’t bother me,” Axel went on. “You just make for the top.” There was nothing false in that. He looked Saïx in the eye as he said it. _Right. We have our own agenda._

Saïx stared hard back at him, then he spun on his heels. “You’ll have a solo mission in Castle Oblivion. Expect the orders soon.” With that, he was gone.

Left alone in his room, Axel clenched his fists and then walked out after Saïx.

* * *

Going to the lobby, Axel found Xion gazing idly out the window. Roxas wasn’t there yet.

“What are you looking at? See anything interesting out there, Poppet?” Xigbar patted her on the shoulder.

Meanwhile, Axel plopped down on the sofa and pretended he wasn’t listening in on their conversation.

Xion turned to look up at Xigbar. “...Just looking at Kingdom Hearts.”

“Is it all that interesting?”

Xion turned to look at Xigbar. “It’s kind of pretty.”

Xigbar let out a low chuckle, then an outright laugh.

Axel glanced over at Xigbar. _I don’t see what Xigbar found so entertaining about that reply. But then again, I can never quite follow what that guy’s thinking._

Xion looked rather confused herself. “What’s so funny? Did I say something weird?”

“Oh, nothing—you’re just making so much progress. Growing up into a fine young lass.” Xigbar kept laughing, as if there was an uproariously good joke in it somewhere.

 _It’s probably that… since the Keyblade returned to Xion, even though she hasn’t gone on missions with Roxas, she’s keeping calm and composed. If that’s what he means by ‘growing up’, then it’s true. But I don’t know why that would make him laugh this much._

Demyx poked his head in between them. “Heya, what am I missing? Somebody tell a funny story?”

“We were just saying how Poppet here is so much more useful than you are,” said Xigbar.

“Huh?” Demyx shrugged. “I don’t get it.”

Finally, as if he were annoyed at the topic of conversation, Saïx intervened. “Xion.”

She looked up and scurried to him.

Matching her timing, Axel took the opportunity to get up from the sofa.

“You’re working with Axel today,” Saïx told her. “Don’t dally.”

“With Axel?” Xion turned to the Nobody in question.

Axel nodded and smiled. “Yup. We’re partners now. It’s the first time we’ve worked together, isn’t it?”

“Well, as long as you stay out of the way. Don’t go holding me back now,” Xion joked.

“Excuse me? That should be _my_ line.”

Saïx watched their joking banter with a withering glare, which actually cut Axel’s laughter short.

Xion noticed, too, and quickly assumed a more professional bearing.

In an attempt to break the suddenly oppressive atmosphere, Axel asked Saïx, “Anyway, where’s Roxas off to today?”

“He and Xigbar will be investigating another new world.”

“Huh.” _There has to be some purpose to Saïx’s directives._ _He doesn’t just pair up members at random. Partnering me with Xion and Xigbar with Roxas is part of a plan. I can’t think of what it is at the moment, though. And I don’t even know whether Saïx means to keep it secret or whether his lips are sealed on someone else’s orders._

“Get to work,” said Saïx before anyone could start any more banter.

“Yeah, yeah.” Axel turned his back on Saïx and walked into the Corridors of Darkness.

* * *

Axel and Xion’s mission took them to Twilight Town. It was an entirely unremarkable task for either of the Keyblade-wielding kids: Destroy the Heartless around town and collect the hearts. Axel’s role was simply support. Climbing up the steps of the back alley, they encountered plenty of Heartless, which all met a rapid end on Xion’s Keyblade. The hearts floated up into the sky.

“Not too shabby,” Axel said encouragingly. “Sorry to make you do all the work. You had to take that one out all by your lonesome.”

Xion hoisted her Keyblade up. “Oh no, I don't mind! I was completely useless when I couldn’t use my Keyblade. So I have to make up for it!”

“Well, don’t push yourself too much.”

“I’ll be fine!”

They walked a little bit and spotted another large group.

“That’s all you, Xion!”

“Leave it to me!” She charged on ahead.

Axel left things to her because he wanted an opportunity to observe her and also to think. _Now that I think of it, I actually don’t know much about her. She fights exactly like Roxas. I guess that makes sense. They’re fighting with the same weapon, after all. Same Keyblade, same fighting style... it’s almost uncanny..._

_Watching her skill, one would never guess she spent any length of time unable to use the Keyblade. She’s as good as Roxas—possibly even better. I don’t understand why I’ve been assigned with Xion at this point. The Heartless are certainly out in droves, but she doesn’t need my help, from the look of things. What exactly am I observing her for? Saïx... you’re hiding something._

Xion turned to him. “That should be all of them over here, I think.”

“All right, Xion, fight fight fight!” Axel clapped, as she turned around. “You’ve gotten pretty good at this, haven’t you?”

“Huh? What’s that for?”

“What? I’m just praising you on your hard work.”

“You’re weird,” said Xion, laughing.

Just then, Xion’s face went hazy in Axel’s vision. He rubbed his eyes. _What was that…?_

“What’s wrong, Axel?” she asked.

“Uh, nothing…”

_For a second, I thought I had just seen... Naminé. Xion already looks like her, but they’re not completely identical. Their hair isn’t the same color. But just now—just for that split second—Xion’s hair had turned blond, like Naminé’s. What is going on?_

“…Axel?” The concerned face was definitely Xion’s again.

 _So what just happened?_ Axel laughed off his confusion, rubbing his head. “Musta taken a hit from a new spell.”

“Are you okay?” She still looked worried.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go find the next batch of hearts.”

“If you’re sure you’re all right, then fine, but…”

“Sure as I’ll ever be. C’mon. Let’s go.” He started walking ahead.

“Hey, wait.” Xion’s footsteps followed him.

When he looked back, she was still the girl he knew, just like usual.

_Nothing has changed. My mind was probably playing tricks on me because of the similarities between Xion and Naminé. I shouldn’t let it bother me._

“Time to take care of business. Let’s hurry up and clear this up,” Axel called, summoning the chakrams to his hands at the top of the stairs. The station plaza was crawling with Shadows.

“Right.” Gripping the Keyblade, Xion charged into the swarm.

* * *

Axel watched the sunset vaguely and blinked, then bit into his ice cream.

“Roxas is late, isn’t he? He must be working still,” said Xion. She had already finished her ice cream.

Their mission hadn’t been too complicated. Plus, they were already in Twilight Town, so coming to the clock tower was a foregone conclusion. They knew they’d arrive before Roxas, but he should have been here by now.

“Hope Xigbar’s not bullying him too much,” Axel remarked.

Xion nodded. “Yeah.”

They fell quiet for a bit after the conversation broke off.

_Now that I think about it, maybe this is the first time it’s been just me and her here._

“You know, Axel…” Xion began.

“Hmm?”

“You know how you were talking the other day about how we all have pasts? When I sit here watching the sunset with you guys, I get the strangest feeling…like I used to watch the sunset and talk about nothing with someone else a long time ago.” Her gaze dropped as she gathered her thoughts. “…I get the same feeling when I look at the sea.”

_She’s never brought this up before._

Then she reached into her pocket and took something out. It was a shell. “Yeah, the sea… I feel like I’ve been there, talking with someone, just like this… somewhere I can hear the sound of waves.” Xion stared at the shell.

“So you mean that...you have memories of your past?” asked Axel.

“No, not quite…” Xion shook her head. “Well, I dunno. Maybe it is a memory.”

_Hm… I wonder._

“What do you think?”

“Huh...I wouldn’t know, either.”

Again, silence passed between them as the conversation trailed off.

 _The sea… A seashell. There’s only one person that brings to mind. Sora. I know a thing or two about Sora’s memories, scattered as they were by Naminé’s handiwork in Castle Oblivion. You could hardly get away from the sea back where he was from—the Destiny Islands.  
  
And that good luck charm, the symbol of Sora’s promise to Kairi… Wasn’t it made of seashells? So it isn’t just Sora. It also makes me think of Kairi, a Princess of Heart. If Xion has some connection to Naminé, then naturally, that memory of hers pertains to Kairi somehow. Naminé was Kairi’s Nobody, after all. Or maybe it means that Xion is related to Kairi herself. So whose Nobody_ is _Xion?_

_Now that I think about this, I have to wonder if seeing Naminé in Xion during the mission was more than just random hallucination. It feels like there must be a reason._

“Axel, you have memories, don’t you?” Xion asked.

“Yeah, sorta. Though it’s not like they’ve ever really done me any good,” he replied, looking over at her.

Xion seemed unsure. “I’m like Roxas. Neither of us remembers anything. I wonder if we had so much in common before we were Nobodies…”  
  
Axel had no answer for that. _I have a guess, but I certainly can’t tell anyone about it. Sora is our enemy. And yet, I can’t deny that I’ve become close to Roxas and Xion, two with a strong connection to him. The Organization’s plans, the machinations I’m involved in, and the time I spend with Xion and Roxas—everything is starting to clash._

He squinted into the sunset.

_All of us are nothing but pawns to Organization XIII—no, to Xemnas, specifically. Only me and Saïx were trying to use him right back. But now…_

Axel didn't even get the chance to finish that thought when he noticed something written on his ice cream stick. He had a “Winner”. It had been a decade since he’d last seen one of these.

_“I get the strangest feeling… like I used to watch the sunset and talk about nothing with someone else a long time ago.”_

It was the same for Axel. He used to come here to the clock tower to talk and watch the sunset with someone else a long time ago. Looking at the stick, Axel could taste the flavor of the sea on his lips, just as Xion heard the sound of the sea when she looked at her shell.

The train sped by with the lonely cry of the whistle.

It was headed to the beach right now. 

* * *

“Thanks for yesterday, Lea.” _  
_

“Again? I told you, it’s fine,” he said as he yawned and stretched.

Isa seemed like he was in an unusually good mood today. “You know, you deserve a little something extra. A reward for working so hard lately.”

“Huh? Reward? What are you talking about?” 

“Well, you know how you said we’d have to wait until next year to go to the beach? Well, I want to give you a vacation _this_ year. A day off to recuperate from yesterday.”

“Wha...?” _Where’s all this coming from suddenly?_

“Yep. You don’t have to do any fighting today. I’ll take care of it. You go ahead and rest.”

“N-no way!” Lea shook his head.

“I know you’ve been overdoing it because of me. You need some time to recover.”

“What? No, I don’t!”

Isa sighed heavily as he put his hands on his hips. “What do you mean ‘what?’”

“I can’t just leave all the work to _you_ , though!”

“Oh, really?” _He doesn’t think I can do it_. “Listen, Lea. You can’t complete your missions without taking proper care of yourself. You know what could happen if you’re not well-rested?” he asked bluntly.

Lea didn’t say anything.

“Well? Are you listening? Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

Lea scratched his head nervously. He knew that it was best to not argue when Isa lectured him. It felt like being scolded by his mom.

“I’ve already decided. Today, I’m giving you a day off. You’ll come with me and I’ll take out all the Heartless today.”

“I dunno. You sure, Isa?”

“You’ve been putting your life at risk for me. Now I’m gonna take care of you. No arguing.”

Lea appeared to be considering it. He _was_ exhausted. And his body was still aching from his fight the other day. He looked back up. “Fine. But don’t push yourself too hard. Let me know if you need a break. Take it easy.”

“I’ll be fine. I know I can do this for you. I just wanna give you a break—a chance to rest up. It’s the least I can do to show you my appreciation for saving me.”

Lea shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t need to show your appreciation to me. Friends gotta lean on each other, ya know.”

“I know. But I’ve been leaning too much on you lately. Now it’s your turn to lean on me. I’ll work twice as hard today so you don’t have to lift a finger!”

 _He really is a lot more motivated than before_. Lea smiled. “All right, Isa.” Lea handed him his frisbees for the day.

“I’ll do my best!” 

“Don’t go bungling everything now!”

“Oh, ha-ha.” Isa laughed sarcastically.

Isa managed to finish off a pretty decent-sized group of Heartless all on his own. He turned around to the sound of clapping.

“Simply amazing, Isa! Fight, fight, fight!” Lea applauded.

Isa wiped the sweat from his brow as he tried to catch his breath. “There. The... quota has been.... met for the day.”

“Well, well. Looks like you might finally be useful for something, after all. I guess you won’t be slowing me down any more! Well, not as much, anyways.” He winked.

They both laughed genuinely.

Isa didn’t say it, but he felt amazing to finally be useful to Lea. It gave him a sense of purpose. “How are you feeling, Lea?”

“Much better. I should be back on my feet tomorrow.” Lea sprawled himself down on the ground. “Seriously, though. You were right. I really needed the rest today.”  
  
Isa smiled proudly. “I’m glad you feel like you can rely on me.”

“Seems like somebody finally found their motivation.”

* * *

Xion and Axel both sat there silently, lost in thought, until finally Roxas arrived. “Hey. Sorry I took so long.”

“You sure _did_ ,” Xion told him with a grin, slipping the seashell back in her pocket. “We finished our ice cream ages ago.”

Roxas sat down beside her. “Xigbar cut and run. I had to finish the mission on my own.”

“Good job then. Looks like you earned yourself that treat,” said Axel. Instead of throwing it away, Axel pocketed the stick from his own finished ice cream, just like Xion did with her shell.

Not wasting any more time, Roxas dug in.

“Xigbar is such a jerk!” Roxas complained between bites.

As always, the trio talked about nothing and everything, laughing all the while.

* * *

Axel walked through the hallway by himself. He was heading back to his room when he was approached by Saïx.

“So? How was Xion? What were your observations?”

“Nothing to report, sir. No changes observed. She took her mission very seriously, sir, and finished in record time,” he answered dismissively.

“I see. Continue your surveillance in that case.” He turned to walk away.

“Whaa? Man, what a pain. How long do I hafta...?”

“Indefinitely. If you notice any changes to Xion, report to me immediately. Understood?” And with that, he was gone.

“...What the—?” Axel muttered to himself, bewildered. He went back to his room.

* * *

It was day 118.

Going over to where Saïx normally stood, Axel found a note pasted.

“OPERATIONS CLOSED FOR VACATION.”

_Vacation, huh? Well, that’s surprising. Saïx only gives days off when he’s in a good mood. Which is never. This must have been someone else’s idea. Well, doesn’t matter. Time to go back to bed._

Axel walked back up the hallway to go back to his room when he came across Roxas. “Oh, hey, Roxas. Haven’t had a holiday in a while, have we?” He was in better spirits than usual.

“I don’t know. I’ve never had a vacation before.”

“Really? Huh.” Axel shrugged.

“Um, Axel…” Looking up at him, Roxas frowned briefly, then asked the question. “What am I supposed to do during vacation?”

“Supposed to do? What kind of question is that?”

Roxas hung his head, unable to fake his way out of ignorance. “But…I really don’t know.”

“You just do what you want,” said Axel.

“What I want… I don’t know what I want,” Roxas answered, and Axel let out a surprised puff of air. “What are you gonna do, Axel?”

Axel let out a long-suffering sigh. “Well, I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do. Sleep. And then maybe have a catnap and a snooze after that.”

“Isn’t that what you usually do anyway?” said Roxas, still confused.

“Hey, I’d nap six times a day if they’d let me. Usually, I’m making do with how much I get. Speaking of, I’d better get to it. Enjoy the break.”

“Hey, wait a second, Axel!” Roxas grabbed his coat.

“What is it? You not gonna let me sleep?” Axel yawned, stretching his arms to emphasize his point.

That was when Xion happened to turn the corner, stopping in her tracks to stare at them. “Uh, what are you two doing?”

“Did you see that notice posted?” said Roxas.

“Yeah, I did,” she answered.

“What are you gonna do, Xion?”

Axel yawned again through Roxas’s question. “If anyone cares, I was just getting back to bed.”

“Wh—? Oh. Okay.” Roxas nodded uncertainly as Axel sauntered off without another word.

* * *

Axel was lying in bed.

_Sheesh, I’m exhausted. I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Though, I’m pretty much always running on fumes. I need to take better care of myself. Then again, I’m never given much of an opportunity._

_“What, not even one little word of appreciation?”_

_Saïx couldn’t even give me one day off after I returned from Castle Oblivion. Some appreciation. Oh, well. At least I’m finally getting a chance to sleep in._

He rolled over onto his back. He felt a sense of pressure building in his chest. It was an empty feeling, but it still felt like it was weighing him down. 

He took the “Winner” stick from yesterday out of his pocket. He couldn’t bring himself to throw it away, so he’d just been carrying it with him. It was a symbol of gratitude.

_The icing on the cake. The reward._

He stared at it for some time.

_What’s going on with me lately? It’s like I’ve got one foot permanently stuck in the past or something. Ever since I got back from Castle Oblivion. And now I have to go back there again soon._

He tried to forget everything and eventually fell asleep.

* * *

_I’m glad I slept as much as possible today. Before I go back to that gloomy castle, I feel like getting some ice cream. I’m sure Roxas will be there. He has nowhere else to go, after all._

“Fancy meeting you here.”

Roxas turned to find Axel behind him, stretching and yawning. “Hey, Axel.”

“Whew, slept like a log.”

He sat down beside Roxas just as Hayner’s voice rang out from below. “Ha! Gotcha!”

“Come on… I’m tired, you guys…” Pence collapsed to the plaza’s paving stones. “Aw, man… I’m not gonna be able to walk tomorrow…” 

“What are those kids doing? Is it summer vacation? Nah, can’t be. It’s too early…” Axel murmured.

Roxas glanced up at that. “Summer vacation? What’s that?”

“The kind of perk only humans get.” Axel laughed. “A whole month off.”

“A month!? What do they do with themselves?” Roxas looked down at Hayner and his friends again. “I can’t even figure out how to fill a day…” 

“Well, they don’t have to look far for things to do. The teachers give them a ton of homework, and they’ve gotta hang out and play every day. Trust me, it’s over before you can blink.”

“I dunno…I could deal with seven days, maybe.” Roxas finished his ice cream and distractedly hugged his knees. 

“Most kids spend the time just messing around with their friends. They put off the homework until the end and then help each other finish it.” _Well,_ _I was the one who relied on Isa for help more.  
_

Roxas noticed that Axel seemed distracted somehow.

“It’s fun to play with friends… I’d forgotten, since becoming a Nobody,” Axel said, almost to himself, and looked at Roxas. “So what’d you end up doing today?”

“How did I know you guys would be here?” another voice asked at the same time.

Roxas turned to see Xion sitting down beside him. “Hey, so where’d you go?”

“Nowhere. I was just practicing in the castle…and finally I got bored,” said Xion. “Why, did you two go somewhere without me?”

“Does going to sleep count? Axel was asleep the whole day.”

“What?! Axel, you wasted your whole day?” Xion said, loudly.

“Hey, I needed the rest! I work hard on the job, unlike _some_ people.”

“Like the two of us have nothing to do and aren’t tired!” Xion interrupted his excuse.

“Yeah, it’s not our fault you get tired so quick,” Roxas shot back, and the three of them cracked up together.

“I got it!” Olette yelled as she jumped and caught the frisbee.

“Oh! Throw it to me!” shouted Hayner.

Axel smiled nostalgically as he watched them play. “Those guys have been playing the same game for hours. Don’t they get tired of it?”

“Hey, don’t you think we’re kinda like that, too?” Xion asked, somewhat amused.

“Hm. I guess so.”

“We’ve been sitting here for hours eating ice cream and we’re still not sick of it.” Xion giggled.

“Yeah...” Axel continued to watch the Twilight Town kids play.

* * *

Lea was walking by himself, headed toward the Marketplace. Suddenly, he felt something brush against his leg. “Wh—whoa!” He jumped. “…The hell are _you_?”

He looked down to see a gray dog. It had no collar and was somewhat dirty. But he had clear brown eyes and seemed friendly enough.

“What’re you doing here?”

The dog looked up at him, tail wagging wildly.

Lea didn’t want to leave without making an impression. It just didn’t feel right. “You hungry?”

As if in reply, the dog made a single tiny bark.

“Oh, okay. Fine.” He reached into his pocket and took out a pack of snacks. He fed some to the doggy.

“I don’t have time to play with you today, though. I promised to meet up with Isa.” Lea gave it a pat on the head and began walking away.

He wasn’t alone, though.

“Um. Hey, can you not follow me?” He turned and shook his finger in front of the dog’s nose.

It barked again. 

“Look, I gotta get going.”

The dog ran in front of him, still wagging its tail happily.

“Ugh, that’s what I get for being too nice to it. It’s gonna follow me now.” Lea continued walking until he arrived at the Marketplace.

Isa was already waiting, eating an ice cream. “A puppy?”

“Heh. Yeah, sorry. Don’t get too annoyed, I’m sure he’ll get sick of me sooner or later.”

Isa took a step toward the dog and stared at it as it wagged its tail. Then he bent down. He let the dog eat the last bit of ice cream on his stick. “Aww, you like that, don’t ya, boy?”

The dog barked happily then licked him on the face.

Isa laughed.

Lea was a bit speechless. “Well, well. This is surprising. I think we found your soft spot, Isa.”

Scrooge was manning the shop, as usual. He greeted one of his most frequent customers. “Why, hello, laddie. You’re always full of energy. How’d you like to test out a new toy I created?”

“Huh? New toy?” That got Lea’s attention.

“It’s called a skateboard! Once I fine-tune it, all the kids will want one and I’ll make loads of munny! But I need some trial data first. So, I’d like you to play with it for a few hours and tell me about it.”

“...Trial data?”

“Yes, it’s a new invention. So, I’m studying to see if it rides well.”

Lea put one hand on his hip. “So you need, like, a crash test dummy.”

Scrooge started bouncing up and down. “What!? Just who do ye think I am!? It’s not going to kill ye!”

 _Whoops, made him mad._ “Just kidding, just kidding!”

“It’s an important job! And I’ll pay you for it, of course!”

Lea thought he _could_ use some extra pocket munny. He agreed to take on Scrooge’s request. He took the skateboard to the main plaza. Before he tested it out, he took a glance at Isa, who was still with the dog.

“Don’t look at me,” Isa said reproachfully. “I can already tell I wouldn’t be good at it.”

“You’re not gonna try it at all? Really?”

“Nope.”

"Oh, come on. You always wanna do the same thing every day. I can’t be the only one to be a crash test dummy. Help me out here.”

“Hey, I’ve helped you enough by picking up all the slack on the homework. So, I’ll let you handle the skateboard.”

“Sheesh. Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?” Lea rolled his eyes and hopped on the skateboard. After riding it around for a few minutes, he regretted all his complaining. “Whoa! Cool! This thing is soooo much fun!”

Lea tried performing a few tricks. “So, what did ya think of _that_?”

“Not bad, I guess.” Isa was always pretty hard to impress. He tossed a frisbee to the dog, barely paying attention to Lea.

“Don’t you wanna try out the skateboard? You don’t know what you’re missing.”

Isa didn't think he’d have the balance to really be good at it. “But look.” He pointed at the dog. “He still wants to keep playing.”

“Oh, give me a break. How long are you gonna keep playing with him? I don’t want him to follow me home.”

Isa bent down and pet him. “Don’t listen to him. We’ll still play with you.”

Lea let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh, all right. But only for a few minutes.” Lea tossed a frisbee and watched the dog dart after it.

“Bark, bark!”

“Hehe. He's fast, isn’t he?”

“See? You like him. Well, are you gonna keep him, Lea? I’m not allowed to have a pet.”

“What? Are you nuts? Owning a dog sounds like a huge pain in the ass. Gotta buy food, go for daily walks, bathe him. Nah. Way too much trouble.”

The dog returned with the frisbee. Isa took it out of his mouth. “Listen to this guy, he’s so lazy. Just like with the homework.”

“Hey. Don’t tell him bad stuff about me.” Lea then realized the absurdity of what he was saying. It wasn’t like a dog understood gossip.

Suddenly the dog spotted something and and ran off.

“Hey! You’re leaving already?”

“Yes! I'm free!!” Lea celebrated.

Isa rolled his eyes.

Cid was walking down the street and saw the dog run past him. “Heh. There goes the Tramp. Probably headin’ on over to Squall’s house. It’s about that time. Squall usually gives him somethin’ nice and tasty.”

“Oh. Is he Squall’s dog?” Isa wondered.

“Nah, he’s nobody's dog. Just a stray. You can never tell when he’ll show up. He’s a wanderer. Never stays in one place too long, always asking different folks for scraps of food. That’s why we decided to nickname him ‘the Tramp’. I feed him ma'self from time to time. Him and his lady pals, that is.”

Lea tilted his head to the side. “Lady pals?”

“Mmm-hmm. That one’s always spotted with a new girlfriend. Doesn’t get attached to any, from what it looks like. I reckon he breaks a new heart just about every day.” Cid laughed heartily.

“Ah, so he's _that_ kinda tramp, eh?” Lea joked.

Isa didn’t laugh. “Oh... So, I guess there’s no telling when we’ll see him again.”

Lea shook his head. “Uh-oh. Looks like the Tramp has already broken one heart today.”

Isa sighed.

“Aww, what’re ya getting so bummed for? I’m sure he’ll be around. You’ll see him when ya see him. But he needs to be free to go where he wants.”

Isa gave Lea a dirty look. “Hmph. This is all _your_ fault. No more picking up strays.”

“Hey, maybe _you_ shouldn’t get attached so quickly.”

* * *

“Well, back to work tomorrow,” Axel remarked, breaking the stillness.

“Yeah,” Xion replied.

“I hope we get another day off soon,” said Xion.

Roxas nodded. "Yeah. That would be nice."

The far-off call of a seagull broke through the stillness.

 _That day never came_ , Axel thought. _We never did get to go..._

“Oh, by the way, it looks like they’re shipping me off again,” said Axel, a bit subdued. “I won’t see you guys for a bit.”

“What?” Roxas and Xion said at the same time, in surprise.

“Yeah, I’ll be going out on recon for a few days.”

“Where?” Xion demanded.

Axel looked down at his stick. Nothing. Not that he expected to get another one. “Can’t tell ya. It’s. A. Secret.” He held a finger to lips, smirking like always. 

“What do you mean by that?” Roxas pressed.

“It’s classified,” Axel said with a shrug.

“So, you can’t even tell us?” Xion was entirely unsatisfied with this. “But I thought we were friends,” she complained, pressing further.

“Doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything. Everybody’s got a few dark secrets they can’t even tell their friends.” The smirk hadn’t left Axel’s face, but his voice was low and solemn. “Got it memorized?”

“Dark secrets…?” Roxas repeated to himself. 

Xion’s gaze dropped, as if her thoughts were wandering, too.

“Geez, you two. I’m kidding!” Axel laughed, dispelling the heavy mood. “I just gotta keep my mouth shut about this, or I’ll have Saïx on my case. You know how he gets. Watch your step with him, okay?”

If that was a warning, he probably meant it. Roxas didn’t know what they would have done without Axel when Xion lost the use of her Keyblade. They would have been out of luck on their own. He nodded, taking the advice seriously. “…Got it.” 

“Try not to bungle everything while I’m gone,” Axel added. 

“Hey, we so wouldn’t,” Xion replied.

“Yeah. Why would we do that?” said Roxas.

“Well, considering your track record… can I really trust you guys?”

“Excuse me? Don’t make me come over there!”

At Xion’s mock threats, Roxas lost it.

She turned on him. “Come on, Roxas, back me up…! Pfft.” But she couldn’t hold back the giggles, either, and then nor could Axel.

* * *

Back at the castle, Axel ambled through the Hall of Empty Melodies back to his room by himself. It was nice to have a little break.

_We don’t have holidays very often, but that’s okay, really._

“So you’ve finally come home. Where have you been?”

Axel turned to face the owner of the voice. There’s only one person who’d say something like that to me—only Saïx. “What, now I have to report every detail of my day off to you? I’m free to do what I want with my own holiday, aren’t I? Lemme guess. You spent your vacation working? My condolences.”

Saïx had no response. A moment went by before he spoke again. “You’re letting yourself get too attached to them.”

 _Too attached? Where did that come from?_ _If anything, it's Roxas and Xion who are getting too attached._ “Right, sir, of course, sir.”

Saïx spun on his heels. 

_Is that all he wanted to say to me?_ Axel wondered, and started to walk away. But, that moment, he heard Saïx speak. It was in a small voice, but he really did hear it.

“You’ve changed…”

He listened to Saïx’s receding footsteps, and his gaze dropped to his own feet. “Changed, have I…” he said, in a small voice. “I’m not the one who changed. You did,” he said as he stared up at the heart-shaped moon.


	12. Day 119: Something to Protect - Day 150: Too Precious to Lose

It was the 119th day.

Xigbar and Xemnas were seated inside the secret lab.

Xemnas rested his head in his palm as he addressed Xigbar. “We have much to discuss. How was Roxas?”

A few days prior, Xigbar was asked to take Roxas to the Coliseum, to watch how his combat was coming along.

“Roxas is maturing at an impressive rate. His face, the way he handles the Keyblade, it’s all exactly the same.”

Xemnas smiled as he thought of who Xigbar was referring to: Sora. But he knew that Xigbar also had someone else in mind as he drew his comparisons.

“The worlds seem so divided and alone, but there’s always that steady thread there to connect them. And we Nobodies can never escape the things we did as humans.” He looked over at Xemnas. His features looked more like Terra’s than the old man he once knew. “Heh. So it goes.”

“I ordered a day off in order to observe Xion’s absorbed memories.”

During her vacation, Xion stayed inside the castle to train and she was observed by Xigbar.

“The memory devices were all set up,” Xigbar said calmly. “By all appearances, it was just a regular training exercise. She’s none the wiser.”

“Good.”

On a large monitor, they observed the memories Xion absorbed from two days ago.

“Ahahaha!” Xigbar cackled. “Axel’s still clinging dearly to those human memories, I see. Man, oh man. That’s some dedication right there.”

Xemnas smiled.

Xigbar reclined in his chair. “You _know_ he was the one who got rid of Vexen.” He turned his head toward Xemnas. “Shouldn’t something be done?” 

Xemnas met his gaze. “Axel hasn’t changed. His motivations are utterly transparent; not an easy trait to find among our ranks. As long as his actions can be predicted, he is of much value to us. We needn’t be concerned.”

* * *

Later, there were four figures in the Round Room. 

Xemnas turned to Saïx. “Tell me your progress. What is the state of affairs?”

“Our plans are proceeding as well as might be expected,” said Saïx. “Axel left for Castle Oblivion this morning.”

“And our little Poppet sure is a wonder,” Xigbar remarked, and a vicious smirk came to his face. “It’s a shame we don’t have Vexen around to follow her.”

“The Organization still has his technical expertise, as he notated and saved everything,” Saïx replied, utterly unfazed. “We’re not facing any difficulties in that regard.”

“And? When those difficulties do arise?” Xaldin, his arms folded from the start, regarded Saïx with disdain. “There are possibilities beyond your control. You may find yourself hard-pressed to handle every possible scenario.”

“I take issue with this implication that Vexen’s demise at the hands of the boy with the Keyblade was my fault,” Saïx said.

“Destroyed by the Hero, huh?” Xigbar echoed with a heavy dose of accusatory sarcasm, seemingly trying to provoke him. “Right, I forgot, the kid did it."

Saïx ignored this and continued. “I have reports from Demyx and Luxord that someone in a cloak identical to ours has made an appearance on various worlds.”

“They must be mistaken,” said Xaldin. “It must be one of us.”

“Allowing for the possibility of unreliable witnesses, I believe it should be investigated.”

Xemnas promptly responded with orders for Saïx. “Have Xion look into it.”

Xigbar leaned back in surprise. “Where’s the sense in sending Xion? Are we not accounting for the possibility that our impersonator could be with Sora? Actually—do we even know where that trio went?”

“I’m having Luxord take a look in every known world, but they have not yet been found,” Saïx replied quietly. His expression never changed. “Axel will be searching Castle Oblivion for any clues as well.”

“Oh, so _Axel’s_ on the case.” Xigbar crossed his legs and leaned his elbows on them.

“How could an outsider get ahold of one of our cloaks in the first place?” Xaldin demanded. “They’re part of our equipment; we ought to be keeping track of them. If any went missing, it should have been reported.”

Saïx let out a deep sigh, the first semblance of a reaction he’d given this entire meeting. “We have not confirmed what happened to any spare cloaks in the possession of the members who were stationed at Castle Oblivion. Axel will also be looking into that.”

“Axel this, Axel that… you two are quite the pals, aren’t you? Sounds like you’re thick as thieves.” Xigbar restlessly jiggled his crossed legs. “Makes me wonder what you two are up to.”

“Now you’ve mentioned it, I might wonder the same about you,” Saïx retorted, and the tension was so thick it was hard to breathe.

“We have but _one_ objective,” said Xemnas. “Be sure to keep that in mind.”

Saïx looked up at him.

“Don’t let Xion out of your sight. Watch her and you will come to understand the Keyblade master.” Having issued the day’s final order, Xemnas vanished on the spot. 

* * *

Xion got up out of bed, got ready, and left her room. She arrived just a little later than usual; already there was no one but Saïx and Xigbar left in the lobby.

“Good morning,” she addressed Saïx. “Is my mission—”

He cut her off. “We have reports of an outsider in an Organization cloak. You will investigate the matter.”

“Where do I go?”

“Agrabah, to start.”

“To start…?”

“These reports come from various worlds,” Saïx went on indifferently. “We still don’t know whether they are about one single person or multiple or which worlds they might appear in.”

“If I find them, should I eliminate them?” she asked.

“No. First, discover how many there are. Capture them, if possible. Don’t eliminate them.”

Xion nodded. “Understood.”

Xigbar, listening in with his arms folded, finally had to make a remark. “You’ve been working really well lately haven’t you, Poppet?”

“…Thank you,” Xion replied in a small voice.

“Thank you? Why do you have to say thanks?”

“Well, you were praising me, weren’t you? Or was I wrong?” 

“Haha… Yeah, I guess you could see it like that.” Xigbar held a fist to his mouth, not quite covering a laugh.

“Did I say something funny?” Xion looked uneasily up at him.

“Oh no, nothing. You’re fine.”

If Saïx was interested in their conversation, he gave no indication. He didn’t show any notable reaction. He just watched. That is, until Xion left.

“Bye, poppet.” Xigbar waved at her as she exited through the dark corridor.

Saïx glared at Xigbar. “What are you getting at?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing. We just had a look at the memories Xion absorbed while she was on her mission with Axel, that’s all. Looks like he’s really getting chummy with her, huh? Kinda like how he _used to be_ with you. That little clapping thing? Very cute, by the way.” Those were the only words Xigbar offered before walking off.

Saïx stared at his retreating back.

* * *

Axel made his way through Castle Oblivion. Not much time had passed since he’d been here last, but it didn’t feel the same at all. Everything inside was still made of that cold white stone. The layout, however, had changed drastically— different hallways led to different rooms.

_I know the rooms in this castle change in accordance with memories. So, I wonder whose memories they’re changing for now?_

“What a pain,” he muttered, and he looked up at the ceiling. “Ugh, this better be over soon.” 

Axel rolled his eyes.

_I’ve been holed up here with nothing but Dusks for company for a few days, and now I’m talking to myself. This castle, devoid of people, is under the control of subordinate Nobodies. Subordinate Nobodies follow orders loyally, but they can’t do any more than that. The biggest difference between them and Organization member Nobodies is that we can think for ourselves… Well, I wonder what ‘thought’ is, anyway. What’s the connection between ‘thought’ and the heart?_

“Argh this is such a pain… I’m gonna go nuts in here…” Axel scratched his head and continued his search of the bizarre castle.

* * *

 _I can’t understand it_ , Saïx thought as he stood in the lobby. _Why is he so attached to them? It’s one thing for him to spend so much effort coddling Roxas, but why is he so fixated on—_

Before he could finish that thought, Xion arrived in the lobby.

“You still haven’t found the impostor?”

“I’m sorry…” Xion hung her head under the weight of Saïx’s disapproval.

They were the only ones in the lobby. Over the last few days, he had sent her to world after world in search of the outsider in the Organization cloak—to no avail.

“And on top of that, you overslept?” Saïx scolded.

“I haven’t… been sleeping well…”

That part wasn’t new. But she never felt like she was really asleep at night. She just kept dreaming. And it was probably why she found herself spacing out in the middle of the day, or even feeling faint sometimes.

“You’d better. It’s part of your work,” said Saïx. “You know you need proper rest to carry out missions.”

“Sorry… I’ll find the impostor today.” Since two days ago, she’d been covering double ground, searching two worlds in one day. But she still hadn’t found any clues.

Meanwhile, Saïx had no sympathy for her. “You are to discover the identity of the outsider,” he told her. “Those are direct orders from Lord Xemnas. Failure is the same as insubordination. If you go on not finding them, you will be directly opposing Lord Xemnas. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Wha…?” Xion had no idea that _Xemnas_ had chosen her for this mission. To the best of her knowledge, Saïx was the one in charge of assigning tasks.

“Failure will not be tolerated.”

She knew she was a Nobody, so she couldn’t be expected to be treated like a real person. But the way Saïx glared at her with disgust. He treated her even worse than a Nobody— more like an _object_.

“I assume I’ve made myself clear. Keep looking.” With that, Saïx turned his back on her and left.

Xion stood alone in the vast lobby.

* * *

It was the 149th day.

Axel had been scouring the castle for a month now. He was suppsoed to be looking for the Chamber of Waking.

“What the hell is in that damn chamber, anyway?”

Whatever Xemnas was hiding there, he _did_ want to know. But something was bothering him. It felt like he was forgetting something important. Then again, this _was_ Castle Oblivion, after all.  
  
“I wonder if this is how Sora felt when he wandered these endless halls,” he said, still talking to himself.

Axel sighed as he opened yet another door. He couldn’t tell how many he’d opened so far. It was always the same.

But behind this door was something unexpected. It wasn’t the white marble walls of the other thousand rooms he’d searched. This inside of this new room looked just like... Radiant Garden, like it did back in the old days.

“Wha—?”

Axel slowly stepped into the central square with a beautiful view of the castle. It had been years since he’d seen his home world looking like anything other than a wasteland. Glitter fell from the sky and Axel caught some in his hand. There was no mistaking it. This room was created directly out of his own memories.

The words he told Sora when they first met came back to him.

_“Congratulations, Sora! You’re ready now—ready to take on Castle Oblivion. You will need to follow your memories. Trust what you remember and seek what you forget. Then you will find someone very special.”_

_“You mean King Mickey and Riku?”_

_“You will just have to give some more thought to who it is that’s—most important to you. Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they’re out of reach. But I’m sure that you can find yours, Sora.”_

“I know why I’m seeing this place. This is where I met Ventus. The boy who likes just like Roxas. And Roxas is certainly someone very special. Ventus—whoever he was—must have been, too.”

_The day is still kinda fuzzy, but we played and became fast friends. I definitely know that._

He sat down in the exact same spot he remembered meeting Ventus.

“Now that I think about it, it’s strange. I’m surprised I even remembered a kid who I only met once ten years ago and barely thought of since. I wouldn’t expect to have any memory of him after so long. But for some reason, I remembered him not long after meeting Roxas and not long before I came to this castle last time. I wonder why. Why would the memory of a person I only met once stick with me for so long? I wouldn’t exactly have considered it a special memory or anything. I guess I could consider it destiny, but that seems a little far fetched.”

_“In this place, to find is to lose, and to lose is to find. That is the way in Castle Oblivion. Here you will meet people that you have known in the past. And you will meet people you miss.”_

“I can’t deny I’ve been thinking about Ventus a lot while I’ve been in this castle. He’s definitely someone I had met in the past. But I wouldn’t have said that I _missed_ him, really. We had only just met once.”

He stared up at the sky, thinking long and hard trying to remember every last detail of that day.

_“This yours?”_

_I picked up a strangely-shaped sword made out of wood. I now understand that it was a Keyblade-shaped sword, but I didn’t know that at the time. Ventus must have been a Keyblade wielder, like Sora. He probably wasn’t even from Radiant Garden. But what is his connection to Sora, anyway? I bet Xemnas knows. I wonder if Saïx does. Though Saïx probably doesn’t remember Ventus._

_“Lea, we don’t have time for this.”_

_Isa urged me along._

_“Lighten up, Isa. It’ll only take a sec.”_

_He really was a “no games” kind of guy, even back then. He wanted to hurry on to the castle. No time to fool around._ _He’s a lot worse now, though..._ _  
_

_“You still play with toy swords? That’s cute.”_

_I gave the sword back to the owner, the blond-haired kid, and took out my frisbees._

_“Now this right here—Ta-da! Whaddaya think?”_

_They were my favorite, bright red frisbees._

_“Not a whole lot.”_

_“You’re just jealous. I’m Lea.”_

_As I interrupted him, I bent my waist forward, and quickly pointed a finger at my head._

_“Got it memorized? What’s your name?”_

_“Ventus.”_

_“Okay, Ventus. Let’s fight!”_

_That was our first meeting. I guess you could say I lost, but thinking about it now, I don’t think I could’ve won against a Keyblade user._

_“I’ll see ya when I see ya. After all, we’re friends now! Get it memorized.”_

_He was a bit of a weird kid, but we became fast friends._

_“We could get some ice cream, too.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Why…? Well, because…Because we're friends."_

_I called Roxas my friend that day. I was a little surprised at myself, honestly. I’ve never called anyone my friend since becoming a Nobody. It was because... I called Ventus my friend back then._ _ _We went our separate ways. That was it. Never saw him again until I met Roxas._ _ _That was all that happened that day. So, why does it feel like I’m forgetting something?_

He thought about it for a second.

“Was that it? Was that all that happened that day?”

 _Wait. No. Something else_ did _happen. Yeah... that’s right. Isa seemed annoyed with me._

_“What is it with you and picking up stray puppies?”_

_“I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.”_

_Right. There was a reason I spoke to Ventus. I wanted to leave a lasting impression on many different people. After that, Isa’s face formed a bitter smile. He said something to me._

_“I know I won’t forget you. Believe me, I try all the time.”_

_That—that’s right. I remember now. That’s what he said to me that day. He may have said it sarcastically, but... Isa said he’d never forget me. I was so happy when he said that. It was one of... my most precious memories._

He thought of his and Isa’s younger selves. 

_I wanted to be immortal. To live forever inside people’s memories. Isa said he’d always remember me. At that time, as children, we didn’t understand that memories were fragile, malleable things. They could even disappear or be rewritten. Memories are fuzzy, and it’s possible for time to overwrite things. I never realized something so precious to me could be completely forgotten._

_“You will just have to give some more thought to who it is that’s—most important to you. Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they’re out of reach.”_

_It’s like Naminé said. Truly precious memories go to the back of your heart. Maybe it’s to keep them safe. I don’t know. The more precious the memory is, the further it regresses into the depths of your heart, making it hard to remember._

_“_ _Look at your special keepsake. I changed its shape when I changed your memory—but when you remember that person, it will go back to the way it was.”_

Axel took out the “Winner” stick from his pocket.

Even without a heart, he remembered how much pain he felt the day it was given to him. He would never forget. The memory was engraved into his heart when he still had one, and as a Nobody it was engraved into his memories. But there were many others that seemingly faded away, until recently.  
  
“I know I should have more precious memories of that time, but I can’t remember them. I know there’s something else important that I’m supposed to remember, but for some reason I just can’t remember it.”

He shut his eyes.

“I don’t want to lose any more memories. Even a single one. They’re... too precious.”

_“You might forget about me…but we made a promise. So I can come back. One day, the promise we made will become the light that brings us together. Till then, I’ll be in your heart… Forgotten but not lost. Because memories are never really lost.”_

“Memories can never disappear. Even if I can’t remember it now, it’s still there. I know it.”

* * *

“Hey, Roxas!”

At the sound of this voice he hadn’t heard for a while, Roxas span around with force. “Axel—when did you get back?”

“Just now,” he said, sitting down next to Roxas.

“That was earlier than I was expecting,” said Roxas. "It sounded like you’d be gone longer."

“Anyone else would’ve been. But I _am_ superb, after all. I’m too good at my job. So how’re you holding up? Where’s Xion?”

“She’s not here yet.” Roxas bit into his ice cream. “I think she’ll show up soon, though…” Even as he reassured Axel, Roxas was uneasy in a way he’d never felt before.

“Hmm… that reminds me, did you guys bungle anything while I was gone?”

“We didn’t!” Roxas snapped, and Axel laughed.

“It’s getting late. This isn’t like her…” Roxas mumbled nervously.

Xion never came.

* * *

150 days had passed.

From the highest chair, Xemnas’s voice could be heard. “Report.”

“...I went to the Beast’s Castle and confronted the impostor.” Xion couldn't even look up at Xemnas or Saïx. “We fought...and I lost. I’m very sorry...”

“It doesn’t matter,” Saïx responded nonchalantly as he reclined in a relaxed position.

That was unexpected. She expected him to be furious, but he didn’t seem bothered at all.

“After all, I always knew were always a failure to begin with. I didn’t expect anything else.”

Xion hung her head without a word in her own defense, then promptly left.

She waited and approached Saïx in the hallway, before he even reached the lobby. “I won’t fail you again, I swear. Where do you want me to look today, Saïx?”

“Nowhere. I’ve taken you off the mission for tracking the impostor. Today you will collect hearts in Halloween Town.” His voice was calm and measured.

Instead of harshly berating her and sending her out again like she expected, he simply gave her an extremely easy mission. And that was even worse. It was proof he had completely given up on her.

“Just one more chance, please!” Xion pleaded, desperate to redeem herself.

“We can’t afford to spend any more chances on you,” Saïx told her, creating frigid tension in the air. “You were a mistake we never should have made. A failure.”

With one parting glance at Xion’s miserable, downcast face, Saïx turned and left.

“…Xion?” Roxas said tentatively. He overheard a bit of their conversation.

She looked up at him—and ran.

“…Xion…” He murmured her name again in the empty hall.

By the time Axel arrived in the lobby, both Roxas and Xion had already left on their missions.

“Axel. Today your mission is to look for an impostor. They’ve been spotted throughout various worlds.”

Axel’s eyes widened. This was the first time he’d heard of this. “An impostor? What’s all this about?”

“We think the impostor is connected to the hero of light. They’re wearing one of our cloaks. Cloaks that went missing from Castle Oblivion on _your_ watch, I might add.”

Axel sighed and held up his palms. “All right, all right. I get the picture. Where do you want me to go?”

“Any world that you know the hero has been to.”

“Roger that.”

* * *

Having been to Castle Oblivion, Axel was pretty familiar with the worlds Sora had been to. 

His search took him to a world called “Deep Jungle.” A lush rain forest paradise with little human presence. It was a pretty good place to hide out, if one were so inclined. There hadn’t been any Heartless spotted in this world since the hunter Clayton was dealt with, so Roxas was never assigned here.

_I know this is where Sora met that Tarzan guy. The man who lived among the apes._

Axel hiked through the trees, but found no traces of anyone fitting the description he was looking for.

_The impostor is most likely one of the escapees from Castle Oblivion. That would be Riku, King Mickey, or the mysterious man in red._

He eventually found himself in an abandoned treehouse high above the forest. He decided to look around. 

“Looks like there were people living here at some point. Hmm.”

Then he noticed the claw marks scratched into the wood. While staring at it, he heard a noise from behind him. He jolted around. “Whoa!”

The only one there was a female gorilla. She seemed startled and took a few steps back.

“Oh...it’s just a gorilla.”

She stared at him with wide eyes.

“It’s okay. I'm not gonna hurt ya.”

The female gorilla took a few steps toward Axel and picked up something lying on the floor next to his feet.

He looked down at the photograph held inside a cracked frame. It was a picture of a mother, a father, and a little baby.

_I see. This must have been Tarzan’s parents. They didn’t make it and he was raised in the jungle._

Axel watched as the gorilla left with the photograph.

He didn’t know that the gorilla was Kala, the one who took Tarzan in an raised him as her own after she lost her baby. She knew he couldn’t replace the baby she lost. And she knew she couldn’t truly replace the human parents Tarzan had lost, either. She wanted him to have something to remember them by—an image to always carry in his heart—so she came here. 

Axel took one last look at the tree house and decided that there was nobody in _this_ world.

_Time to call it a day._

* * *

Xaldin was standing alone in the hallway with his arms crossed. 

Xigbar approached him casually. “What did the boss have you look into today?” 

“Investigating the beast. Look for its weakness so we can bring him under our wing.”

“Ah. Same thing I just did a while ago with that Hercules fella.”

“Watching that foolish beast flail about only deepens my disdain for humans and their incessant need to be pinned down by feelings,” Xaldin spat. “We became Nobodies precisely to avoid the shackles of emotion.”

“Heh. So we found its weakness, I wager?” A wide smirk formed on Xigbar’s face.

“Yes. The rose. The beast cherishes it dearly. I’m certain it is they key to his cursed form. It appears time is running out for him.”

“Hm.” Xigbar strokes his chin. “Maybe we can use the same principle with Saïx. He’s worried that he’ll never be human again, too. If doubt could be planted—doubts about Axel—it could drive them apart.”

“In any case, they’re way too close. I won’t tolerate anyone plotting behind our backs.”

“Well, we’ll see if we can break apart their trust. Trust is such a fragile thing for us Nobodies.”

* * *

When Axel finally arrived on the clock tower, he noticed it was just Roxas again. “So what’s up with Xion?”

“She’s not here again.”

“Oh well…” Axel thought nothing of it. He took his perch next to Roxas.

They were silent for a moment.

After a few more bites of ice cream, Roxas remembered his questions. “Hey, Axel…”

“Hmm?” Axel turned mid-bite, ice cream still in his mouth.

“Do you have anything you couldn’t bear to lose?” he asked.

Axel shifted in surprise and pulled the ice cream bar out of his mouth. “What? Where’d that come from all of a sudden?”

What spurred on the question was the valuable discovery he and Xaldin made. The rose. It seemed very important to the beast. To him, it was more precious than all the castle’s riches. It seemed to be why he was fighting the Heartless. He wanted to protect it. A mysterious rose with strong enough power that even the Heartless were drawn to it. What exactly was so special about it, though? Roxas really wanted to know.

“I saw someone today and…he was talking about something like that. It was so important he couldn’t even think about losing it. Xaldin told me that’s a weakness. And I started thinking about how I don’t have anything—”

“Yeah, because you don’t have a heart.” Axel sighed, weary of having to point it out. “It’s the heart that gives something value to you.”

“Oh…I guess.” Roxas stared down at his dangling feet. He just wasn’t finding the right words for what he wanted to say. How could he get Axel to understand? “I mean, Demyx doesn’t have a heart, but he’d go nuts if you took his sitar, wouldn’t he?” Roxas tried.

“Huh…you’ve got a point. So, okay, say you don’t need a heart for things to be important to you… Maybe the closest thing we Nobodies have is our pasts. It’s the memories that give things value. You know, memories of the stuff we couldn’t bear to lose, back when we couldn’t bear to lose it.”

Roxas contemplated that for a moment. “Wait a sec, Axel. I thought you said memories of the past were just baggage?”

 _That’s right. I did say that._ “Well, that’s true. It is. But...” He gazed out at the sunset, squinting his eyes under its brightness. “...That’s all we have to remember the pain of losing something.”

Now Roxas was _really_ lost. “I don’t get it. You value pain?”

“I suppose so, yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because the memories are all we have left of the time we had a heart. Having a heart means pain. But...happiness, too.” Axel fell silent for a moment, then continued. He still was fixated on the sunset. “I suppose that... it’s better to have the memories of something you’ve lost than to have never had it at all,” he said as if to himself. 

“Memories…” Roxas mumbled at his lap. “Well, I don’t remember my past, so I guess that explains it.”

Axel pondered that for a few seconds before suggesting, “What about your present, though?”

Roxas looked up. Somehow, he hadn’t expected to hear that from Axel. “Huh?”

“You’ve got your memories since you joined up with the Organization, right? There must be something special to you there.”

“I dunno…” Memories…? Roxas didn’t have any from when he was human. But he did remember his time with the Organization so far. “Wait, you’re right. I don’t want to forget about you or Xion.”

“See?” said Axel. “Everyone’s got things they wanna hang on to. Even us Nobodies.”

Roxas slumped over again. “Kind of a scary thought.” The words tumbled out of him.

“Afraid? How do you manage that without a heart?” Axel shot back.

“I mean, when I think of losing you and Xion, or my memories of you… to forget what it’s like to be with my friends… It is scary.” It was like a cold breeze had found its way under his cloak. Roxas shivered. The mere idea made him so afraid.

“Fear’s an emotion. It doesn’t exist for us,” said Axel.

“But…I am feeling it. I’m scared right now.” Axel and Xion ceasing to exist—the thought was even more frightening to him than his own termination. Roxas didn’t want to dwell on it at all.

Axel looked far away into the distance. “Something in you probably does remember what it’s like to be scared. So you think you’re feeling it now.”

* * *

“All right! Fight, fight, fight!” Lea cheered enthusiastically as Isa defeated the last remaining Heartless in one clean motion. He really had improved dramatically over the past weeks.

Hearing Lea’s praise always made Isa feel so motivated. He turned around with a proud smile. “There. That was _nothing_.”

“Great job, Isa. You’ve been working really well lately.”

“Thanks. You know, I think I’m finally ready now.”

“For what?”

“To fight on my own.”  
  
“You want us to split up? Why!?” Lea’s slightly panicked voice created a bit of an echo in the cave.

“What? You just said I was working really well lately, didn’t you?” Isa responded matter-of-factly.

“Well, yeah...but...” his voice trailed off as he stared at his sneakers.

“C’mon, Lea. I think I’m ready to fight on my own now. I mean, it’d be pretty childish for me to just stick with you all the time, don’t you think?”

Childish? Lea hadn’t really thought about it like that before. Isa had always been cool, collected, and mature beyond his age. He was the one who fixed everyone’s problems. He was good at helping with homework, giving advice, as well as keeping Lea out of trouble. _I guess it could feel infantilizing to rely on another person so much. Still..._

“Besides,” Isa continued. “We’ll get the work done much faster that way. Then you’ll have more time to rest. And you _definitely_ need to start resting more.”

Lea began nervously tapping his foot. “I guess... but that doesn’t mean we have to split up. We can get the work done just as fast by teaming up. Then we can both rest together.”

“No, we’ll definitely get done faster if we cover more ground.”

Lea continued to fidget.

“I don’t understand. The Heartless have been so weak lately. You haven’t had any problems with me fighting them until now.”

_That’s only because I was always right there to watch you_ , Lea kept himself from saying.

Isa’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Lemme guess. You think I’m gonna freak out and panic without you there with me?” He smiled reassuringly. “Trust me, I won’t. I’m not afraid anymore.”

“No, it’s not that. You’ve been working really well lately. Better than I ever expected. I’m just...” _Worried_ , he nearly said, but the words didn’t come out.

“Just what?”

He knew how hard Isa had been working lately and didn’t want to take that away from him. “Nothing,” he said with a lengthy sigh and a shake of his head. 

“All right. Then I’ll see you in a few hours. We’ll meet back up in this room when we’re both done.”

“...Right...”

After Isa left, Lea found himself unable to concentrate well. His mind kept wandering. On top of that, his trembling hands and clammy palms didn’t help, either. It made it hard to even grip his frisbee. He looked over at the door anxiously.

_Is he really gonna be okay on his own? What if something happens while I’m not there? I know he’s gotten a lot better now, but I still don’t think he’s ready to be on his own. What if he gets attacked by something he can’t handle by himself?_

He’d heard about what happens to those who are preyed on by the Heartless. The person’s heart is ejected from their body. Afterwards, the person vanishes without a trace.

A shiver went down his spine. He took all his pent up frustration out on the Heartless and eliminated them all in record time. Not that there were that many to begin with.

_If that happens to Isa... he’ll be gone forever. I’ll never see him again._

The thought of losing someone so precious and never seeing them again. It was something he had never dealt with before. He’d never felt this level of terror before, even when he was down here fighting on his own. Isa’s disappearance frightened him even more than his own.

After finishing off the remaining Heartless, he sat down against the wall where he told Isa he’d wait for him. It felt like he was waiting forever.

“He’s taking so long.” 

He waited. And waited.

_What if Isa doesn’t show up?_

“Maybe I should go check on him.”

_But what if I get to the room he was assigned and Isa simply isn’t there? If the Heartless got to him..._

Lea rocked back and forth, like a restless child.


	13. Day 151: Distress & Day 152: The Wrong Button

It was the morning of day 151.

It was another typical day, as Saïx was summoned to the Round Room for a routine meeting.

“Send Xion to Twilight Town with Roxas,” said Xemnas.

“Yes sir,” Saïx replied obediently.

 _Xion failed to complete its mission to apprehend Riku. As expected, the Duplicate is starting to show its limits. The Program showed promise, but a puppet is just a puppet: something to be toyed with until it breaks._

He stared at Xigbar, lost in thought.

_I am utterly at a loss as to what Roxas and Axel see in that thing. How best to dispose of it merits my consideration going forward._

* * *

Lea and Isa were assigned to one gigantic room full of nonthreatening Shadow Heartless.

Lea yawned as he prepared for yet another day.

“Thanks for yesterday, Lea.” _  
_

“Again? I told you, it’s fine,” he laughed.

Isa was in an unusually good mood, however. “You know, you deserve a little something extra. A reward for working so hard lately.”

“Huh?” Lea tilted his head. “Reward? What are you talking about?” 

“You know how you said we’d have to wait until next year to go to the beach? Well, I want to give you a vacation _this_ year. A day off to recuperate from yesterday.”

“Wha...?” _Where’s all this coming from suddenly?_

“Yep. You don’t have to do any fighting today. I’ll take care of it. You go ahead and rest.”

“N-no way!” Lea shook his head.

“I know you’ve been overdoing it because of me. You need some time to recover.”

“What? No, I don’t!”

Isa sighed heavily as he put his hands on his hips. “What do you mean ‘what?’”

“I can’t just leave all the work to _you_ , though!”

“Oh, really?” _He doesn’t think I can do it_. “Listen, Lea. You can’t complete your missions without taking proper care of yourself. You know what could happen if you’re not well-rested?” he asked bluntly, looking at the dark circles under Lea’s eyes.

Lea scratched his head nervously. He knew that it was best to not argue when Isa lectured him.

“I’ve already decided. Today, I’m giving you a day off. You’ll come with me and I’ll take out all the Heartless today.”

“I dunno. You sure, Isa?”

“You’ve been putting your life at risk for me. Now I’m gonna take care of you. No arguing.”

Lea appeared to be considering it. He _was_ exhausted. And his body was still aching from his fight the other day. He looked back up. “Fine. But don’t push yourself too hard. Let me know if you need a break. Take it easy.”

“I’ll be fine. I know I can do this for you. I just wanna give you a break—a chance to rest up. It’s the least I can do to show you my appreciation for saving me.”

Lea shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t need to show your appreciation to me. Friends gotta lean on each other, ya know.”

“I know. But I’ve been leaning too much on you lately. Now it’s your turn to lean on me. I’ll work twice as hard today so you don’t have to lift a finger!”He sounded quite sure of himself.

Lea smiled. “All right, Isa.” 

“I’ll do my best!” 

“Don’t go bungling everything now!”

“Oh, ha-ha,” Isa laughed sarcastically.

Lea handed him his frisbees for the day.

“All right then. Your vacation has officially begun.” Isa sounded satisfied with himself.

“Hm. A vacation in a cave.” Lea sat down on the floor. “What...am I supposed to do exactly?”

“Hey, it’s _your_ vacation. Do what you want.”

“Hm. What I want, huh?” He thought about it for a bit, then said the first thing that came to mind. “I mean...it’d be great if I could spend a whole day just sleeping.”

“Then go ahead and sleep.”

“But...I-I can’t do that. What about _you_?”

Isa shrugged and spoke in a playful voice. “You don’t need to consult with me about how you spend your vacation, Lea. You’re free to do whatever you like.”

Lea looked off to the side. “Well, yeah...but... I can’t just sleep while you’re off fighting by yourself.”

“Listen, Lea. Sleeping, resting, taking proper care of yourself—that’s a mission in and of itself. It’s the responsible thing to do as long as we’re stuck down here.” He smiled wryly. “Without sleep, you won’t be much help, anyways.”

Lea still looked unsure.

“It’ll be _fine_. We don’t have to go anywhere else today. I’ll be right here in this room the whole time. If anything happens...” Isa bent down and motioned with his hands. “...Tap, tap. Hey, Lea. Get your lazy butt up.”

 _Well, I guess it’s just one day. And I will be right here in case he gets himself in a sticky situation._ “Haha! Okay, you win. I guess...it’s okay to get some beauty sleep for a while.”

“Good night, Lea.”

Lea took off his black cloak and made a pillow out of it. He soon found himself lying down and closed his eyes. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep on the cave floor.

Isa looked back at him and noticed he was out cold. A smile formed on his face. “Heh. At least sleep with your mouth closed. Gonna get drool on it.”

After fighting for the day, he managed to finish off the last remaining Heartless. He turned around when he heard the sound of clapping.

“Simply amazing, Isa! Fight, fight, fight!”

 _Oh, he’s awake._ Isa wiped the sweat from his brow as he tried to catch his breath. “There. The... quota has been.... met for the day. For both of us.”

“Well, well. Looks like you might finally be useful for something, after all. I guess you won’t be slowing me down any more! Well, not as much, anyways.” He winked.

They both laughed genuinely.

Isa didn’t say it, but he felt amazing to finally be useful to Lea. “So. How are you feeling, Lea?”

“Muuuuch better. I should be back on my feet tomorrow.” He stretched then rubbed his eyes. “Seriously, though. You were right. I really needed the rest today. Haven’t slept this well in forever.”  
  
Isa smiled proudly.

Lea looked up at the ceiling. “Ahh. That was the best.” He closed his eyes and started talking to himself—just thinking out loud. “I wish... things could just stay like this forever. I could sleep like this every single day. Yeah... that’d be nice.” He smiled softly just thinking about it. “Oh, well. Back to work tomorrow.”

Isa stared at Lea’s profile without him noticing. _He must still be exhausted. I guess that makes sense. I have been causing him a lot of trouble lately. I want to grant him his wish. In that case, I need to be more independent. If I can pull my own weight, we can split up. Then we’ll finish up much faster and he’ll have more free time to rest afterwards. He could nap like this every day.  
_

Isa looked down at the discs in his hands.

_Okay. From now on, I have to start working really, really hard._

* * *

With a great yawn, Axel stretched out on the lobby’s sofa. _As cold and uncomfortable as ever._

There was no one here yet.

_Guess I’m actually early… Well, that’s to be expected. I’m only up at this hour because I never went to sleep. I was working through the night on my report about the mission in Castle Oblivion. But pulling an all-nighter to finish a report doesn’t mean I get to slack on missions. So, here I am._

From his place on the sofa, he twisted to look up at Kingdom Hearts shining outside the window.

“You’re here early,” said Saïx.

Axel tore his gaze away from Kingdom Hearts at the sound of the voice to see Saïx standing there. “So are you.”

“No, I’m not. You’re just usually late.” Saïx took up his usual post.

 _That time already, huh?_ thought Axel. Just as he was yawning and stretching again, another member arrived. “Hey, Xion.”

“…Good morning,” she said without meeting his eyes, marching straight over to Saïx before Axel could get another word in edgewise. Her turned back seemed to reject Axel. “Saïx. What’s my mission today?”

“Eliminating Heartless in Twilight Town.”

“Understood.” Xion didn’t utter a syllable beyond what was absolutely necessary. A dark portal opened up in the corner of the lobby, and she disappeared into it with no further ado.

 _Now that I think about it, I didn’t see Xion at the clock tower yesterday, or the day before that._ Axel stared wordlessly at the wisps of darkness swirling away to nothing in her wake.

Saïx noticed his gaze. “...Surely you’ve heard the story, right?”

Axel was baffled. “Story? No, I haven’t spoken to Xion since I got back here.”

“Hmm…”

_Maybe Saïx is thinking he’s said too much._

“It has become clear that that thing is a failure, that’s all.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Roxas entered the lobby then, and Axel bit back the rest of his questions.

“Hey, Axel, you’re here early,” Roxas remarked.

“Uh-huh…” He nodded vaguely and peered at Saïx again.

But now Saïx was all business. “Roxas, today you are to collect hearts in Twilight Town.”

“Okay.”

“Get to it.”

Roxas nodded and looked back at Axel. “See you later, Axel.”

“Uh, sure,” Axel fumbled, sleep-deprived. “See you.”

Just like Xion, Roxas wasted no time heading into the Corridors of Darkness.

_Xion and Roxas have been sent to the same world on their missions… And the fact that it’s Twilight Town is pretty interesting too, but I have no reason in particular to ask about it._

Saïx spoke to him first—after making sure that Roxas was gone. “I suppose you have questions?”

Axel gave him a look, took a breath, and asked, “So are Xion and Roxas working together, or…?”

“I assigned them separate missions. Eliminating Heartless and gathering hearts,” Saïx replied. “But I did arrange it so that they’re likely to cross paths.”

“On purpose? What for? And why you?” Axel pressed, hardly pausing between questions.

“It’s necessary that they stay close, to some degree.”

“What do you mean? Necessary for what?”

“…Don’t concern yourself with them too much.”

“And after all your efforts to make me concerned. What are you playing at?”

“You’ll understand soon enough. Now, it’s about time you heard your assignment today. The outsider in the Organization cloak—Riku, that is. I might as well use his name with you.”

“…How did you already read my report?”

“I can guess that much without reading it.”

_One of the things I had investigated at Castle Oblivion was the matter of the cloaks. But all the cloaks were accounted for—which means somebody obtained one through other means. Not just anyone could do that. And Riku’s whereabouts are unknown, so that was the name I put forth in my report. It was only speculation but Saïx has apparently been speculating along the same lines._

“Pursue his whereabouts,” Saïx ordered. “But do not engage him. The last to try was Xion, and it ended poorly.”

“She lost…?” _Maybe that was why she looked so glum_ , Axel thought.

“Of course, all that means is that number fourteen is a failure.”

“You’re calling her a _failure_ just because she couldn’t beat Riku? Seems a little harsh.”

_The Riku I met before didn’t seem all that strong. But Riku has that THING lurking in his body. That thing, the power of darkness… no, the power of Xehanort. Riku wasn’t able to control that power in Castle Oblivion. But time has passed since then. I don’t know what he’s like or how strong he is now._

“…Is it? I wonder about that,” Saïx retorted.

“Well, why are you—?”

Saïx promptly cut off Axel’s question. “Go to whichever world you want to try first. Just track him down, find out what he’s doing. That may give us some clues leading to the hero of light.”

 _Guess I won’t get any more answers today_ , Axel thought. _But seriously, what is your problem with Xion?_ He gave up and nodded. “Got it.”

Saïx narrowed his eyes. “Don’t concern yourself with Xion.” It was the second time he’d said that.

Axel returned Saïx’s stare, trying to piece together what he really meant. “Is that an order? Or a warning?”

Saïx, of course, gave him no answer.

* * *

After a stroll through the dark corridors, Axel finally arrived to his destination.

_Agrabah. It’s been a while since I’ve been here._

Axel took a stroll through the Marketplace. He blended in with all the people, but saw no impostor. Then he saw two familiar faces walk by. _Oh, it’s those guys again_. Axel listened in on their conversation.

“It’s so wonderful to just be able to come and go as I please.” Princess Jasmine strutted about energetically.

“Haha. It’s just the Marketplace, Jasmine.” The monkey, Abu, sat atop Aladdin’s shoulder eating an apple.

“To you it might not be a big deal, but I’ve spent my whole life stuck behind the Palace walls. I was never allowed to do a thing on my own.”

Aladdin smiled softy. “You sound like Genie. When I first met him, he told me something similar. All he wanted was to be free. To be his own master. 'Such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world.' Those were his words.”

 _Freedom,_ Axel thought. _That’s something we in the organization don’t have, that’s for sure._

Jasmine adopted a more serious demeanor. “I see. That’s why you couldn’t ask him for help before.”

“Yeah.” He stared up at the sky. “I made him a promise. He’s done so much for me. Before I met him, I had nothing. I was just... a worthless street rat.”

“You’re _not_ worthless, Aladdin.” Jasmine smiled flirtatiously.

Aladdin smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess not. Reminds me of that cave of wonders where I found the lamp. I was told it was filled with treasures beyond my wildest dreams. But only certain people could enter—those whose worth lay far within. Diamonds in the rough.” He looked her in the eye. “Of course, I got a treasure far more valuable than all the riches I saw. I got you.”

“Excuse me!? I am not a prize to be won!” she huffed in mock offense.

The both laughed. Then they held hands and walked away.

Axel took his leave of the Marketplace and headed outside the city walls. He stood at the oasis and thought of the last time he was here.

_“Fine. Do as you wish. But today is the last day. Starting tomorrow, you both work solo.”_

_It took a bit of goading, but finally Saïx relented and let me do what I wanted. Roxas and Xion got their wish. They get to stay with each other and Xion got her Keyblade back._

He remembered what he told Roxas on their day off.

_“Um, Axel… What am I supposed to do during vacation?”_

_“Supposed to do? What kind of question is that?”_

_“But…I really don’t know.”_

_“You just do what you want.”_

Axel let out another long yawn. _I know what I’m supposed to do. I’m supposed to be looking for Riku. But I know what I really want to do. I want to just lie down here and nap._

He stared at one of the palm trees next to the oasis and imagined lying against it, then dipping his feet in the water.

_Just got back from another trip to Castle Oblivion and still got no day off._

He remembered Aladdin’s words about his best friend Genie.

_“He’s been making other people’s wishes come true for so long. Now he finally has time to do what he wants.”_

_This place looks a lot better compared to last time. No sandstorms, no debris. That Genie guy’s on vacation, doing whatever he wants to do now. He’s lucky to have a best friend looking out for him._

He looked up at the cloudy clear blue sky.

_“I hope we get another day off soon.”_

_“Yeah. That would be nice.”_

_Yeah. That would be nice._

“Ain’t gettin’ that, though,” he muttered under his breath. Then he continued his search.

* * *

Axel meandered his way up the clock tower stairs. “Heya, Roxas!”

“Axel...”

“Xion couldn’t make it again today?”

“Actually, you just missed her,” Roxas responded, rather subdued.

Axel sighed and looked out towards the sunset.

_I’m not sure what I should say. What Saïx said is bothering me. He keeps warning me not to get involved. Roxas and Xion won’t get eliminated. I know that much, at least. They’re collecting hearts. Saïx probably thinks that I’m getting distracted from our goal. It’s probably nothing to worry about. But still..._

Axel and Roxas didn’t speak much as they ate their ice creams.

* * *

The next morning, Axel overslept.

Saïx waited in the lobby until Demyx arrived. “Demyx. I’m sending you on a mission with Roxas today.”

“Wha...? What for?” Demyx hunched over in dread. “Ohhh, man. You’re gonna make me fight, aren’t you?”

Roxas arrived in the lobby before long.

“Depart as soon as you are ready,” Saïx told him.

* * *

And so Demyx joined Roxas on his mission in Olympus Coliseum.

“We’re out on heart collection today, right?” He sighed. “I’m so not cut out for combat. Would it kill them to give me a recon mission or... I don’t know, something un-violent?”

Roxas stopped and took a look around. The Coliseum was their best bet for finding a whole pack of Heartless at once. He turned to Demyx. “Follow me, Demyx.” Then he led him to the lobby entrance. “We’ll find the Heartless in here.”

“Okay, right on... Ooh, but should we just go waltzing in? Won’t someone see?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll just say you’re another aspiring hero here for some training. Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

“Wait, training!? That sounds like work, which means sweating. Which is gross.”

“It’s that, or stay out here.”

“Hmm, actually...” He had an idea. “Yeah!”

“What?”

“We’ll split up!” Demyx suddenly sounded passionate. “And, uh...form two strike forces! I’ll handle the Heartless out here. You take the ones inside. Covering a broader range means more efficient collection, right?”

Roxas nodded. “I guess?”

“And while you collect those hearts, maybe I can collect some Z’s...” Demyx said under his breath.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing! Well, good luck in there, Roxas.”

Roxas left the Heartless outside to his mission partner and entered the Coliseum Vestibule. “Huh? He’s not here...” Then he heard a voice coming from the Coliseum.

“C’mon! Is that all you got!? You call yourself a hero and use form like that?” It was definitely Phil.

“It’s coming from the arena.” There was a “closed” sign blocking the entrance, but Roxas decided to just take a peek.

He saw a strong-looking man standing and holding a longsword.

“Put some zing into it!” Phil shouted. “Stay focused!”

The man practiced some impressive-looking sword swings and then struck the blade into the ground.

Phil kept at it. “All right, next exercise! Keep moving! No breaks!”

Then the man started doing one-armed push-ups.

Phil stood on top of him. “C’mon, you can take more than this!”

Roxas watched in awe at the man’s stamina.

“Blegh... What a tyrant!”

Roxas turned around. “Demyx?”

Demyx waved his arms defensively. “I’d be running out the door in tears after ten minutes of that.”

“Done with all the Heartless outside already?”

“The what?” he asked, startled. “Oh, right, uh...yeah! Yeah, they sure picked the wrong guy to mess with! I finished early, so I thought I’d drop by and see how you were doing.”

Roxas lowered his head in disappointment. “I’m still not done.”

Demyx was actually relieved. “Yeah? Well, no biggie! I’ll just find a comfy spot and kick back for a while.” Then he took off.

Roxas turned his attention back toward the strong-looking warrior, Hercules. “That guy is getting trained way harder than I was. Why’s he getting yelled at like that when he’s doing such a solid job? Is he that much stronger than me?” Before anyone could notice him, Roxas left the arena and waited in the lobby.

“All right, Herc. That’s it for today. Rest up for the next time!” Phil soon arrived and spotted Roxas. “Hey, there’s my rookie! Ready for today’s training, kid? Just say the word.”

“Um, okay.” And with that, Roxas finally started his training for the day.

* * *

Axel arrived in Olympus Coliseum, searching for Riku—or whoever the impostor turned out to be.

As soon as he exited the dark corridor, there he was. He couldn’t believe his luck. “Hey!”

The figure jolted and tried to make a run for it.

“You’re not going anywhere!” He grabbed him and ripped his hood off. “All right, spill it! What are you after, you fake!?”

“Hey! That hurts! Take it easy wouldja?” 

“What the—!? ...Demyx!? What are you doing here!?”

“A-Axel!? Oh, no! Please! Please promise me you won’t tell Saïx! I’m begging you!” he begged with his hands clasped.

Axel instantly loosened his grip on Demyx’s cloak, dropping him roughly onto the ground. “Sheesh...of all the— I’m guessing you’re supposed to be on a mission here or something?”

“Pfft, yeah. Saïx just randomly decided to send me with Roxas to do some training for _no reason_. Guys a freakin’ slave driver, I tell ya! I keep tellin’ him I’m not cut out for combat, ya know!? But does he listen? NO!”

“You gotta be kidding me. Where’s Roxas? Shouldn’t you be uh, ya know, _helping_ him?”

“Aww, he’s fine. He’s in there with that little goat dude.”

_Oh, yeah, I remember him_. “So, you thought that while he was busy you could just hang out here and slack off?”

Demyx shrugged and held his palms up. “Roxas said it was okay?”

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Axel felt his eyes practically roll out of his head. “That kid is way too nice.” Axel looked at Demyx again. “ _Anyways_. Why’d do have your hood up? You know we’re all out here looking for that impostor, right?”

“Well, the sun’s really bright here in this world. I didn’t wanna get a nasty sunburn while I was napping, ya know?”

The only adequate response to that was a facepalm. “You know, you’re lucky I was the one who found you and not Xaldin or Xigbar.”

“So, like, that means you’re not gonna tell Saïx, right?”

_Aww, I'm way too damn tired to deal with either of them._ “Truthfully? I couldn’t care less about what Saïx ordered you to do today.”

“Sweet! Thank you, Axel! You’re the best!” He threw an around his neck.

“Stop that.”

But he didn’t listen. “Say. Why don’t you hang out here with me for a while? You look seriously beat.” Demyx figured if Axel took a break too, he’d be less likely to rat on him.

_Hm. I know Saïx wouldn’t approve. But he didn’t even bother to give me a day off, so who cares? It’s only fair. Just for today, I’ll do what I want, not what I’m supposed to._ “You know what? That doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.” He instantly slumped down in a pile, arms folded.

“All right! Team Hookey reporting for duty!” Demyx promptly took out his sitar.

“You’re going to be playing _that_?”

“Oh. That no good, bro?”

Axel was too tired to care. “You know what? Do what you want.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” He began strumming the strings as a loud, albeit relaxing melody rang out.

Axel didn’t waste any time nodding off. He awoke some time later to the sound of excited shouting.

“Whoa! Dude!” Demyx began flailing about. “I’m not one to brag, but that was amazing! I’ve got me a new hit single!”

Axel was half-asleep. “So...mission accomplished, huh?” he asked somewhat sarcastically. He wasn’t sure if Demyx picked up on it or not, though.

“Heck yeah! Like, seriously. I’m a musician! This is what I'm good at! X-face is always barking at me to work, but what's he expect me to do against monsters like that? I mean, stop and think about skill sets when you divide up the labor already! Sheesh!”

Axel’s facial expression dropped. “...X-face? Oh boy, don’t EVER let Saïx hear you call him that. Seriously. Please. For all our sakes.”

“Hey, man, no prob. That guy scares me, too.”

_Ugh, I’d better go._

* * *

“Nice work.” Phil seemed satisfied with Roxas’s progress. “That’s a good run for one day. I gotta tell ya, kid. I’m impressed. I think you’re ready for the big time. So, I’m clearing ya to enter the Games!”

“You are!?” Roxas was quite excited.

“Yup. You can try for the Rookie Cup, anyway. I figure, you may not place, but at least you‘lol put up a decent show. In the meantime, we’ll keep you up to your elbows in training—so stay sharp!”

“Speaking of which, who was that you were training before me?”

“Oh, Herc? He's another student of mine. Been at it a long time now.”

“Why were you working him so much harder than you do me? Is he that strong?”

“Well, sure. He’s a hero, kid. If I put a squirt like you through that, you’d croak on me. And it’s not just that.”

“Huh?”

“Of all the heroes I’ve trained, he’s special. Maybe the best.” Phil’s voice suddenly became full of admiration. “I got high hopes for him. He’s gonna be ‘the one’!”

Roxas seemed in awe as he felt a sense of familiarity.

“Ahem... Enough talk about Herc. You just worry about getting in shape for the tournament. I got two words of advice for ya... Eat. Sleep. Train! Remember, I got expectations for you too, kid.”

Roxas began mumbling to himself. “So people work you harder when they have expectations? The Organization expects me to do hard missions all the time. Aren’t expectations the same thing as orders?”

“Sorry, kid, but I can’t stick around anymore today. I got some errands to run, nymphs to chase, you know how it is.” With that, Phil left.

“I guess that’s it for now, then. I’ll just have to RTC.” Roxas walked outside to the corridor, where Demyx was standing.

“Hey, Roxas. You done?”

“Huh? Yeah...”

“What’s up, man? You look out of it.”

Roxas couldn’t get what Phil said out of his head. Expectations. He didn’t understand the concept very well. “What kind of missions do you usually work?”

“Me? Recon stuff, mostly.”

“No taking out Heartless?”

“Nah, it’s rare that I do anything that strenuous.”

“But aren’t you expected to?”

“Ha, they know better than that. They wanna keep the machine running, they pick the right tool for the job.”

Did that mean the organization didn’t have any expectations of Demyx? What about Xion? Or Axel? “And that's me? The right tool for the job?”

“Something happen in there, man?”

“No, I just—Nothing. Our mission’s complete. Let’s RTC.”

* * *

Demyx arrived back at the castle by himself, since Roxas decided to see if Xion would show up at the clock tower. “Oh, man! I gotta say, that was a haaard day’s work! Yep! I. Am. Beat.” He stretched as he walked toward the hallway.

Saïx didn’t say anything.

“Ugh. Gonna go take a shower. I’m all sweaty.” He didn’t mention that he was sweaty from the heat more than the hard work.

Saïx just sighed heavily and stared at moon outside the window.

* * *

Isa woke up in his cell and rubbed his sore chest.

_After Lea and I split up yesterday, there were so many Heartless. Where did they all come from? It made it hard to eliminate them. I failed to meet yesterday’s quota for myself. I thought I could handle it. I don’t know if I can bring himself to tell Lea I bungled things. Not after how I told him he could rely on me. It was our first day apart. He seemed pretty worried yesterday, and this will just cause him to worry even more._ _But I wonder if those guys will notice..._

Braig came at the usual time and took him from his cell. He looked down at his notes. “It seems the Heartless extermination rates are falling behind. You slacking off, kiddo?”

“N-no.”

“Oh, so its the redhead?” Braig asked, teasingly.

“No! No...it was me. I failed the mission yesterday. I’ve been working as hard as I can. But there were so many Heartless in the area I was sent.”

“Well, that shouldn’t be the case. We’ve specifically been sending you to areas where the Heartless are sparse.”

Clearing out a small amount was better than nothing. They were accomplishing something, so there was no point pushing the two boys too hard. 

“They suddenly came out of nowhere and were swarming me,” Isa replied nervously. “That’s why I couldn’t fill the quota. I could barely fend them off. I’m so sorry. Please, I’ll make up for it today, I swear.” He was trembling with fear.

Braig’s response was unexpected. “Eh. It doesn’t matter.” He seemed utterly indifferent.

_What?_ “You’re not ...gonna punish me?”

“Punish? As if!”

Isa just stared at him, confused but relieved.

“Why would I wanna do that?” He was smirking, like always. His single-eyed gaze always seemed to look down on Isa.  
  
He didn’t know how to respond. His eyes were darting across the floor. “...I just thought...since I failed to meet your expectations...”

“Expectations? Pa-haha!” Braig kept laughing, rolling his head back and slapping his leg. “Stop! You’re killing me here!”

Isa didn’t see what was so uproariously funny. _Why give us a quota if you had no expectations?_

Once he finally calmed down, he explained. “Kiddo, I’ve known from the start that you were worthless.”

_Worthless?_ That word cut his heart like a knife.

“If a scrawny brat like you actually managed to defeat a single Heartless, you’ve already _way_ exceeded my expectations. Honestly, I was expecting you to have kicked the bucket already. Never expected ya to actually meet Dilan’s silly quota. ‘Course, I’m sure that has to do with your little pal helping ya. Am I right?”

He look downed down at the floor, his expression resembling that of a kicked puppy. _It’s true. He’s been doing everything for me for so long._

“Hey, if havin’ you around makes him work harder, then it’s less work for us! It’s not like anybody needs _you_ , though.” Another snicker escaped his lips.

Isa said nothing. He just stared at the floor.

Braig noticed how upset he looked. “Aww, what’sa matter? Ok, since you’ve been such a good boy and trying SO hard, I’ll tell ya what. Today I’m sending you to the Northern Mineshaft.” He patted him on the head and ruffled his hair. “There’s hardly any Heartless there. I’m sure you’ll be fine. And I’ll have your quota lowered by half. That sound good?”

It should have been a relief, but Isa felt awful. He headed to the cavern as usual.

“Mornin’,” Lea yawned.

“Good morning.” Isa wasted no time. “I’m gonna go to my spot now. It’s the Northern Mineshaft.”

“Oh. Uh. O...kay...” Lea still wasn’t comfortable with working separately. He didn’t sleep well. He was up all night worrying that Isa would wanna work alone again. His anxiety wasn’t getting any better today. _I was hoping to talk to him today._

Isa walked away, barely even sparing Lea a glance. He couldn’t bring himself to tell him anything about what Braig told him. When he arrived in his designated area, there were many more Heartless than he expected.

_Why? Why are there so many again? He said this area was supposed to be sparse._

He did his best to fend off the ever-increasing horde. Just as he was getting exhausted—

“Isa!”

“Lea!”

Lea ran towards Isa, catching his breath after working as fast as he could and sprinting all the way here. “Hey, how are things looking over here?”

Isa couldn’t look him in the eye. “...Everything’s fine. Um...why did you leave your area?”

“I finished early. There were barely even any there.” His main priority was checking on Isa, but what he said wasn’t a lie. There were many more Heartless here in the mining area. “Huh. Must be because they all came over here. Kinda weird.” He shrugged it off. “Well, I’ll lend you a hand then.”

Isa and Lea decided to take on the mob of weak Heartless together.

“Ooh, watch out! Behind you!” Lea alerted Isa, but just decided to defeat the Heartless himself before he had the chance.

Isa swung at another to his left.

“Don’t worry, I got this.” Lea put an outstretched arm in front of him.

The whole time, he hovered around Isa and wouldn’t even let him touch a Heartless. Every time he tried to take one out, Lea was right there to do it for him. He was treating him as if he were fragile—like something meant to be behind a display case at a museum.

_“Fight, fight, fight!”_

_He was praising me. He said I was fighting better than he expected. I get it now. He wasn’t impressed because I was actually helping him. It’s because he didn’t actually expect anything from me in the first place. The slightest accomplishment on my part must have seemed like a miracle to him. That explains why he didn’t want me to fight by myself yesterday. He must thinks I’m worthless, too._

Instead of bragging, Lea just slumped down onto the ground after all the Heartless were gone. “Ugh, what a drag,” he said with a hefty sigh. 

_He looks so exhausted, but he still won’t let me do anything._ Isa sat down in the ground, too. _It doesn’t make any difference whether I’m fighting by his side or not. I’m not able to help at all. All the hard work I’ve been doing—it serves no purpose._

“Man! I’m SO tired! This routine is getting to be _such_ a pain in the ass...” Lea continued to complain at length, though he didn’t sound particularly upset or anything. He just always enjoyed venting.

Isa knew that Lea always hated doing anything too troublesome. _All I could give him was one day off. But that’s nothing, really. I wonder if that’s how Lea views me? A pain in the ass. He must think it’s a chore having to help me so much, considering how tired he is._

Lea noticed Isa was being pretty quiet. “So? How are _you_ doing? You okay?”

The display of concern seemed rather excessive, not to mention unnecessary. Lea coddled him the entire time. “Yeah...why wouldn’t I be?” He felt so guilty. “I mean, you did all of the fighting again.”

Lea only realized it after it was pointed out to him. _I guess I did do all the work today, huh?_ He shrugged, then leaned back, resting his head on his hands. “Yeah. I always get stuck with the icky jobs,” he playfully whined, thinking nothing of it. It was a complaint he’d made plenty of times before.

“Oh, is that so!?”

“Huh?” That was the only response Lea could muster at Isa’s unexpectedly raised voice.

He stood up indignantly and said in a puff, “Well, I’ll have you know there’s one icky job you _don’t_ have to get stuck with anymore!”

“Isa! W-wait! Where are you going?” he held his arm out to Isa’s retreating figure. “What...just happened?”

* * *

There was no trace of the young man in the cloak—of Riku—that he could find. In the end, he had to call it a day and RTC.

Axel ducked into the sweets shop. “One ice cream, please!”

“Here you go.”

 _I wasn’t expecting to find Riku easily in the first place. I bet Saïx thought the same. But Saïx will probably pull that magnificently horrible face and have a nasty word or two to say if I tell him I couldn’t find him. But then that’s Saïx’s ‘personality’. In short, Saïx pretending to be a human just involves a whole lot of that kind of thing. It doesn’t mean that he himself is really feeling some kind of displeasure. That too is natural, seeing as he has no heart and all. The_ _sneers, the snide remarks, the only trappings of human emotion that Saïx ever shows. All just an act, based off of his most prominent memories. He doesn’t laugh...or smile._

Heading up the slope to the station, Axel bit into the ice cream bar. “This stuff is so salty,” he murmured to himself, as he often did.

_Still…Xion had fought Riku and lost. They probably talked, to some extent. Did Riku see her face? Assuming he caught a glimpse, he could have sensed something from the echo of Naminé’s features there._

When Axel reached the ledge atop the clock tower, he only saw one other figure there—Roxas. 

“Hey, Roxas!” Axel greeted him.

Roxas seemed especially down. “...Axel…”

“No Xion today, either?” Axel asked, pretending he knew nothing.

“Don’t hold your breath.” Roxas hung his head.

Axel was beginning to gather that something had happened.

_Roxas and Xion must have had it out over something. Knowing them, it’s something dumb._

He tried his best to think of what it might be.

_“You’re just making so much progress. Growing up into a fine young lass.”_

_I figured that by “growing up,” Xigbar meant that she’s keeping calm and composed even without Roxas by her side. And Xion is pretty mature for her age. When I was on the mission with her, she seemed so happy to contribute and be useful. But recently, Xion failed her mission. Now, instead of hunting Riku she was given a pretty simple heart collecting mission in Twilight Town. I saw how easily she handled a mission like that when I was with her last time. She definitely didn’t need my help. On top of that, Roxas was sent along with her yesterday. That’s just adding insult to injury. Knowing him, he didn’t realize how she was feeling and said something. Then Xion took it too personally. That’s just my best guess, though._

He wondered if he should ask, then decided against it. But he couldn’t have said whether Saïx was the reason why. More like this wasn’t the time. So he sat down beside the silent Roxas and ate his ice cream.

“…I’m going back now, too.” Roxas stood up.

“What, you’re leaving? After I went to the trouble of coming out here?”

“Oh… Heh. I guess you’re right, sorry.” Roxas awkwardly sat down again.

Axel looked at him, chewing on his ice cream stick. _When his face is like that… I can’t NOT get involved._ “Did something happen yesterday?”

“Nah, it’s nothing…”

 _He’s a bad liar. I can pick it up straight away. But I guess that isn’t concrete proof that something did happen. However, I definitely recognize that look on his face. Something must have happened that Roxas didn’t understand the reason for and he can’t explain it_. _An emotion somewhere in my memories._

* * *

Lea slept extremely poorly. Even worse than usual. He couldn’t stop thinking about why Isa suddenly got so mad at him. _What should I say today to fix things?_ _First thing I’ll do is apologize. Yeah._

Dilan and Even came to his cell to take him to the caverns.

“Oh—” Even noticed a black aura surrounding the boy and jotted down some notes on his pad.

Lea had a terrible headache and his anxiety was getting out of control. Once down in the caverns, he immediately headed to where Isa was. He jumped into the fray and defeated the entire group of Heartless near Isa. Afterwards, he took a deep breath and approached him.

“How did I know you’d come follow me?” Isa snapped.

 _Yep. He’s still mad at me..._ “Am I that predictable?” Lea asked cheerfully.

“Yeah. Simple-minded people usually are.”

“Okaaaay.” Lea started nervously fidgeting his fingers. _What should I say? What should I say?_ “Look, I’ve been thinking. Fighting separately, it’s pretty pointless, right? I wanna come with you from now on.”

“Why?” The way he said it was still frigid.

Lea shrugged helplessly. “It’s just... safer to work together? You never know when we could run into a tough Heartless. Remember that really nasty one? I thought I was a goner all on my own.”

 _Yeah, I remember. That was all my fault, too. Just admit you don’t trust me. You think I’m going to bungle everything._ Isa turned his back.

Lea felt like that back was rejecting him. He approached Isa from behind and put a hand on shoulder, peering at his face. “If there’s something bothering you, please don’t hide it from me; just tell me." He said it as gently as possible, so he wouldn’t take it the wrong way.

 _He’s acting like he doesn’t know._ “........”

“Listen. Isa. I meant to tell you this straight away.”

_He’s going to apologize. Finally. Well, let’s hear it._

“I’m really, _really_ sorry for whatever it is I did the other day.”

He shrugged Lea’s hand off. “Why are you apologizing if you don’t even know what you’re apologizing for!?”

 _Great. That just added fuel to the fire_ , Lea thought.

Isa began walking away. “From now on, you should focus on your assignment, and I’ll handle mine.”  
  
Lea darted in front of him before he could get away. “I can handle mine AND help you with yours, ya know,” he offered with a large awkward grin.

“Lea, you don’t have to worry so much about me. I don’t need you to jump in and do everything for me. And I don’t need you to hold my hand and walk me everywhere, either. I’m not a little baby.”

 _What? Where did THAT come from? I just wanted to make sure he was okay... is it so bad to be concerned for his safety when there’s Heartless everywhere?_ “I didn’t mean it like that...” He scratched his head awkwardly.

“Well, good. For your information, I don’t need your help. I can take care of myself just fine.”

 _I just don’t get it. This isn’t like him at all. Why is he trying to prove himself all of a sudden? He was always so grateful before when I helped him. Now, it’s like he doesn’t want me around at all. I can’t wrap my mind around what he’s thinking. He’s being totally irrational. It’s like a bad mood switch got flipped or something._ “Yeah, sure, I know that. But a little tiny bit of help isn’t gonna kill—” 

“Enough!”

Lea sighed. “Can you tell me what I did? Or maybe just give me, like, a hint?”

“Fine! Here’s a hint! Give me some space!!”

_He’s acting like he hates me and I have no idea why. I guess I have no choice but to listen to what he says. I’ll just give him some space. He’ll cool off soon. I hope..._

Being given the cold shoulder really hurt. Lea hung his head in defeat and bit his lip. “...Okay...” He sauntered off in a slump.

* * *

“Girls sure are complicated, huh?” muttered Axel.

At that, Roxas raised his head in surprise. “How did you know I was thinking about Xion?”

_There’s something hilarious about him asking that with such a serious face. With just the evidence we have here lined up, no one would think that Roxas was thinking about anyone other than Xion._

“‘Cause you’re simple, Roxas… But don’t take it personally. Most of us Nobodies are.”

Without even snickering at what Axel half-meant as a joke, Roxas threw another question at him, sincerely. “Are humans complicated?”

Axel took a deep breath and allowed himself one tiny chuckle before answering. “More complicated than us. And that goes double for the ladies.”

“What about a girl Nobody like Xion?”

“I guess, simpler than a human but more complicated than you or me.”

Roxas squinted in confusion. “Yeah, I’m lost.”

 _Well, sure you are_ , Axel thought. _It doesn’t make a lot of sense in the first place._ “Anyway, the important thing to remember when dealing with girls is not to push the wrong button. If you push the wrong button, you’re out,” he told Roxas with a grin, trying to keep the atmosphere light. “Got it memorized?” He didn’t think this was a very serious matter—and he said it in a way so that Roxas wouldn’t, either.

“So...do only girls have buttons?”

“Nah...I don’t think so.” He cringed a bit at the unintentional suggestiveness of the question. _Isa had... a few buttons himself._ “It’s just with girls no one knows what’s connected to what. All ya gotta do is gently tap a button, and it’s over.”

“Maybe that’s what I did…” Roxas let out a long, dramatic sigh. “Wish you’d told me this before.” 

Axel remembered a previous conversation he had with Roxas and Xion a while ago.

_“That Genie we met seemed really worried about his friend Al. But then he said he’d respect his friend’s wishes.”_

_“Your friend’s wishes, huh…”_

_“I guess you can’t just jump in and do everything for them, even if you want to.”_

_“Yeah. People need their space.”_

It was now clear _exactly_ why that situation sounded so familiar back then. “…In that case, there’s nothing you can do but give her some space.”

“What? Why?” He sounded slightly frustrated. 

“Because if you rush in trying to fix things, you’ll just hit more buttons. You’re wasting your time chasing after her. Trust me on this one,” Axel answered.

Roxas sighed again. “Fine… I guess.” He hung his head in defeat and slumped into a pile, just like a boy with a heart.

 _He’s just like a human. It’s messing with my head._ Recognizing that look, Axel couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore. And then without thinking, he said, “Aw, Roxas. You’re a good kid.”

Roxas was ruffled, and he glared at Axel, pursing his lips. “Don’t treat me like a kid!”

The sight of this was even funnier, and Axel couldn’t stop laughing.

“Stop laughing at me!”

Somehow, Axel managed to contain himself, but he was still grinning.

Axel held back his laughter somehow. “It will be fine, Xion can take care of herself,” he said, his mouth still twisted into a grin.

“I hope so...” Roxas said, and he stared out at the sunset.


	14. Day 171: Love & Day 172: Sound of the Surf

When he saw her small figure in the lobby, Axel hesitated for a second, then called out, “Xion!”

She froze, not even turning to look at him.

“Hey. Haven’t seen you in a bit.”

“Oh… Yeah.” Xion’s voice was barely above a whisper. She didn’t bother to meet his eyes.

“It’s been a while, y’know? We haven’t even had ice cream together since I got back.”

“…Huh. You’re right.”

“I’ve seen you from time to time in the lobby, though.”

“Uh-huh… Sorry, I have to get to work.”

Before she could break into a run, Axel grabbed her arm. “Wait.”

“Let me go—”

As Xion tried to escape, her body shook, left only barely standing, thanks to Axel’s grip on her arm.

“Hey.” He peered into her face, which was white as a sheet. “Are you feeling okay?”

Xion shook her head. “It’s nothing… Sorry.” She started walking away as fast as she could.

_“Xion can take care of herself.”_

Axel recalled what he’d said to Roxas, and suddenly, he wasn’t so sure. “No, wait.” He took her arm again.

“I’m so sorry; I can’t talk. Let me go.”

“Hey, about the impostor…”

Xion finally looked up at him, her eyes wide. “You know about that?”

“Everyone knows about him, if that’s all you mean.”

“Oh… I guess they would.” She looked away, and hung her head.

 _Maybe she misunderstood—she might think that I meant everyone knew about her loss._ He let go of her arm and watched her steadily. “The search for him is still underway.”

“Is that your job?”

“Yup.”

Xion met his eyes, and Axel only waited a moment before telling her, “His name’s Riku.”

“Riku…” she softly echoed, touching her lips after they formed the name. The information was probably new to her. “Do you know who he is?”

“…Yeah.” Axel nodded.

“Where did he go?”

“I don’t know…yet.”

“Oh.” She looked away again.

“Xion, what happened?”

“Nothing. It’s just, I lost to him… Riku.”

“That’s all? You sure?”

“Yeah… That’s all. I lost.”

 _She’s probably lying. It’s different to Roxas’s bad lying, it’s a more serious lie._ “Whatever, Xion. He’s special. It’s no wonder that you lost.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he’s—”

“What are you two doing? I gave you missions.” 

_No guesses as to who always interrupts at times like this—Saïx._ “…Saïx,” Axel muttered.

“Get to work.”

Xion darted away.

When Axel tried to catch her arm once more, his hand closed on empty air. He let out a sigh.

“Do I have to tell you again?” Saïx remarked. “Don’t concern yourself with them.”

“…I’m not all that concerned,” said Axel.

“What use is your information to Number Fourteen anyway? Divulging it would be meaningless.”

“Meaningless…? What about you? Why’d you have Roxas and Xion hang out after she fought Riku?” _She hasn’t been the same since that battle. And then Saïx had deliberately put her in contact with Roxas. After that mission, Roxas and Xion had their falling out… Was that Saïx’s plan all along?_

“I can’t tell you that right now.” Saïx gave a slight shake of his head.

Axel snorted at the gravitas. “What? Are you gonna tell me I’ve changed again?”

“No… I was just thinking you should remain in contact with them for now. But not if you’re about to tell Xion or Roxas what you know about Riku.”

“…Not following.”

“No? I thought I was quite clear. Just don’t get too involved. That’s all.” Saïx promptly marched away.

Watching him go, Axel sighed.

* * *

A meeting was currently underway in the Round Room.

Xigbar looked up at Xemnas. “Hah! Kid turned out to be a better puppet than the _actual_ puppet.”

Just then, Saïx arrived after giving everyone their missions for the day.

“Speak of the devil.” He held his hand to his mouth and held in a snicker.

Saïx wondered what he was talking about, but kept it to himself. He spared Xigbar a brief glance, then turned his gaze away.

Xemnas then began to speak. “We have discussed these matters before.”

“Yes, Xion’s quite a wonder,” Xigbar chimed in. “Just like a real person now. Nothing at all like before.”

“Our efforts regarding the Replica Program were severely derailed by Vexen’s unexpected demise. Xion was affected by Roxas, just as we had anticipated. This was indeed what we had hoped to achieve... But then, through Roxas, Sora himself began to shape ‘it’ into ‘her,’ giving Xion a sense of identity. That we did not anticipate.”

Saïx noticed noticed Xemnas’s attention had turned to him. “Axel has said nothing in his report about the Riku Replica gaining a sense of self. As far as we know, the effect with Xion is unprecedented.”

“Whether that is true or not, our plan seems like a failure at this point. We did not intend for the puppet to gain a mind of its own.”

 _Yes,_ Saïx thought to himself. _Xion is indeed a failure._

* * *

_Today I’m investigating a world called Halloween Town. Roxas should have been here too, a little while ago._

This was actually the first time Axel had been to this world.

 _Us Organization members should blend right in here_ , he thought in the unrelenting gloom. _I heard that this world is all about scaring others._

He looked up at the large full moon. It reminded him of the moon in The World That Never Was.

_Not really my kind of world..._

He poked around, taking out Heartless along the way, until he discovered a secret passageway behind a gravestone—but a ghostlike Heartless popped out to pick him up and slam him into the ground.

“Wha—? OWWW!”

Furiously chucking his chakrams, he managed to chase it off.

 _Sheesh._ _What a pain in the ass. There’s no sign of Riku on this world, either. Where the hell has he gotten to, anyway?_

Back in the town square, a tall skeleton-looking man walked by. “Oh! I just got another idea! I’ve gotta head to the lab and tell Dr. Finkelstein! Hmm. Maybe with this new idea, this year’s Halloween will actually satisfy me...”

Axel looked over at the building the man entered. _So that’s a lab? I’d hate to see what kind of awful research they do there. Ugh, I need a change of scenery._

Just as he was getting ready to leave this world, a ghostly dog came out of nowhere and started running circles around him, barking the whole time.

“GAH! Wh-Where’d _you_ come from all of a sudden!?” _Man. I can’t stand this creepy ass world._

The dog, Zero, ran around him in a circle one more time, then fluttered off. It seemed somehow like he was leading him somewhere.

“So...you want me to follow you or something?”

Axel followed him until they reached the Hinterlands, a forest of trees. One tree had a door in the shape of a Christmas tree, which was left slightly open.  
  
“Huh. So, is this what you were trying to show me?”

“Arf!”

“Hm. Somebody must have gone inside. I wonder if it was Riku.” _Well, I might as well check it out._

“Woaaah!”

He fell flat on his butt in the new area.

“Owww...getting tired of this.”

He looked around and marveled at the flood of light glittering off the white snow. There were cute decorations everywhere you could see.   
  
_There’s a pair fresh of footprints!_

He followed the trail.

There was a merry-go-round in the middle of town, shining brightly. The moon and stars were different here than in Halloween Town. Despite the cold snow, the atmosphere in this world was cheerful and warm. He liked it here.

The footprints led straight to the front of a large house decorated with flickering lights.

“Oh, there’s someone there...” Axel created a dark portal and went on the roof of one of the nearby houses.

A round man with his red clothes, a red hat, and white beard, was standing in front of the door to the house. He looked just like...Santa Claus. Axel had heard stories about him before, as a kid. He never expected him to actually be real, though.

The footprints apparently belonged to a young woman. Her appearance indicated that she was a resident of Halloween Town. “Hello, Mr. Claws. My name is Sally. Um...I was hoping to ask you something. It’s about Christmas.”

Axel stared at the jolly old man. _So, that IS Santa Claus?_

“Oh, why yes. What is it?”

“Well, I want to give Jack a Christmas gift.”

“Jack? You mean Jack Skellington? The Pumpkin King?”

Sally nodded. “He’s been tasked with the Halloween preparations this year, and he’s doing a fine job. But...”

“But...?”

“I can tell. He’s just not satisfied. And I’ve heard him mention Christmas more than a few times lately.”

Santa sighed. He seemed a bit concerned as he stroked his beard. “I see. He still hasn’t let it go.”

“I thought that if I gave him a Christmas gift this year, that might be enough to lift his spirits. But... I’m afraid I don’t know much about Christmas or gifts. So, I wanted to ask you about it. How do you know what to give someone?”

“Well, I just take a look at my lists.” He took out a long list. If you looked at it closely you’d see there were many names written on it. “You see, when someone has been good all year, they go on the nice list. If they’ve been bad, well, they go on the naughty list.”

Axel had to admit to himself. _If I had to guess, I’d be on the...not-so-nice nice list._

“Children write down what presents they wish for and send me their letters. Then, if they’re on the nice list, the elves create the toys and wrap them. My job is to deliver them on Christmas Eve night. When they wake up in the morning, the gifts are there waiting for them.”

Sally looked a little downcast. “...I see.”

“Is something the matter?”

“I just...want the gift to be special, that’s all. Something that I know will make Jack happy.”

“Sally...What’s really special isn’t the gift. It’s the act of _giving_ the gift.”

She looked troubled by his answer. “I’m sorry, Mr. Claws. I’m not sure I understand.”

“Presents are a way to give your heart to someone. _That’s_ what makes them special. Even with the Christmas presents I deliver to children, it’s not about the toys. It’s about the feeling of knowing that someone out there is thinking of them and wishes deep in their heart to make them happy. That is the greatest gift of all.”

Under the blinking lights, snowflakes began falling, landing on Axel’s face and hair. He took the “Winner” stick out of his pocket and stared at it, as he often did lately.

“Thank you, Mr. Claws. I understand now.” Sally placed her hand over her heart. “I...know the present I want to give Jack.”

Santa Claus’s smile was filled with joy. “That’s wonderful to hear. I’m so glad I could help you.”

* * *

_I have a hunch that if I could just track down that kid, things might improve a little. But it’s not happening. I couldn’t pick up the trail today, either._

In the usual spot on the clock tower, Axel felt someone arrive behind him. He hailed them as cheerfully as he could with his mouth full of ice cream. “Hey! Here comes the hard worker! Good job, you must be tired!”

Roxas sat down next to him without a word, until he asked, “Have you seen Xion?”

“Nope, not yet.”

“Oh…I see...” Roxas stared at his lap.

“Can’t believe she’s skipping out on us. We have a problem, don't we?” Axel remarked.

Roxas shook his head. “It’s up to her whether she comes or not.”

 _That didn’t sound like him at all._ “Well, sure, that’s fair…”

They sat side by side, eating their ice cream. The sunset was the same beautiful crimson as always.

Roxas was lost in thought after the day’s mission. He thought of the rose. 

_“That is no ordinary rose. The room is in tatters save for one corner—because to him, at least, it is more precious than all the castle’s riches.”_

At first, he didn’t know why the Beast cared about it so much. Then he learned it was enchanted. He couldn’t bear to lose it because he needed it to break the spell.

_“They think the power of love will save them? That’s the stuff of poetry, not practicality.”_

_“Love is a power?”_

_“None you or I will ever grasp. Nor will they, for long. The love between them will wither and die. Love never lasts.”_

But the rose wasn’t what he _loved_. It was the girl. He was fighting so hard to protect her. It was so obvious to Roxas, but Xaldin couldn’t see it until today. He said that they needed a heart to understand love.

“Axel, can I ask you something?” said Roxas, when he was about halfway through his bar.

“What’s up? Something happen?”

“It’s…just something I heard about on the mission today. Um… This is gonna sound stupid.” Roxas screwed up his face in concentration. “Do you know what love is?”

“…‘Scuse me?”

“I found out about love on today’s mission—that it’s something powerful.”

 _Love… Huh?_ Axel looked far away into the distance. “That’s true. It is. But I’ll never get to experience it.”

“Why not?” Roxas was completely in earnest.

“Love is a special power that only humans have.” _Honestly, I have very little confidence in my ability to explain this. But whenever Roxas or Xion have questions about the mysteries of the human heart, I do my best to answer._

“Nobodies can’t love?” Roxas asked.

“Nope. You need a heart for that.”

“Oh… Right. A heart...”

Axel noticed that Roxas fell quiet, pensive.

* * *

Isa was completely exhausted. Once again, there were an innumerable amount of Heartless swarming him on his mission. But he used every last bit of energy to handle himself and fill his quota for the day. Afterwards, he dragged himself back to the cavern where Lea was waiting for him.

“Hey...” Lea greeted him, a little nervously.

“Hey.” Isa collapsed against the wall immediately.

Lately, Lea tried his best to give him some space, and it seemed to be working. He wasn’t in a bad mood or anything anymore. He was just...distant. After their missions, he was always so quiet. He’d usually just nap. Lea tried to nap as well, and considering how poorly he slept at night, he certainly needed it. But his anxiety made even that increasingly more difficult with each passing day.

After sleeping for a while, Lea noticed Isa had woken up. That was when he decided to get some things off his chest. Seeing his friend look so weak and pale, he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing anymore. “Look, I need to talk to you,” he said as he stood up.

“What is it?” Isa asked as he got onto his feet. But as he began standing, he became lightheaded. He fell over, about to faint.

Lea quickly darted behind him and managed to catch him in his arms before he hit the ground. “Are you all right!?”

“Yeah... I’m fine. Sorry. I just got... a little dizzy, that’s all. I guess I’m still half-asleep.”

“That’s it. It’s obvious that you’re pushing yourself way too hard. I won’t let you keep doing this.”

Isa stared at Lea, a bit caught off guard. _No. I have to keep going. He’s finally getting enough time to rest now. This is the ONLY thing I have to give him._ “Lea, I’m okay. Really.”

Lea sighed. He didn’t get the sense Isa would listen, so he didn’t argue any further. Once they were being led back to their cells for the day, he decided to talk to the guards.

“Um, I have a request.”

In the middle of the hallway, Braig, Dilan, and Even all turned around.

“Can Isa get a day off tomorrow? He looked really pale and almost passed out. He’s not feeling well.”

“Hmph.” Dilan looked down at Lea with disdain. “Absolutely no stamina. Is that child truly worth such coddling?”

Lea glared at him. There was plenty more he would have _liked_ to say, but he held his tongue.

Even couldn’t help but notice the cloudy black aura around Lea yet again and jotted it down in his notes. He was the only one sensitive enough to notice such a thing. He’d considered that maybe he was having some kind of effect on the Heartless. Perhaps that was why they seemed to congregate around the other boy so much lately. The timing _did_ coincide. It was just a hypothesis, but he brought this possibility up earlier with Braig.

Braig looked over at Even who was writing something down, then addressed Dilan. “Aww, it’s fine. Just give the poor little kid a break if he needs it.”

“Fine,” said Dilan, sounding annoyed about it. “ _If_ you handle his share of the work tomorrow.”

Lea nodded resolutely. “That’s fine.” _I’ll do double duty again if I have to. I can handle it._

* * *

Axel kept talking, breaking the silence. “There’s something special only born between two people who are even more than friends… that’s love.”

“More special than friends? Like…if they’re best friends? Inseparable?”

“Well, you can care about your friends, but that’s not exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a bit different than best friends...” Axel paused, groping for words that might make sense to Roxas.

“So then...it’s a step above best friends? There’s a connection even higher than that?”

“No—it’s not about steps.”

Roxas looked bewildered.

 _As I expected, I’m not doing a very good job explaining it._ “Not that it matters. We don’t have hearts, so it’s got nothing to do with us.”

Roxas wouldn’t let it go. “Do you think we would understand it, if we had hearts?”

“Once Kingdom Hearts is complete, I bet you’ll be able to figure it out.”

 _The magic words again_. _It’ll all make sense when Kingdom Hearts is complete. But is that true? No one has ever seen it happen before. So who knows? Still, all we can do is believe in it. Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts…_

“Kingdom Hearts, huh…?” Roxas said under his breath, gazing out at the sunset.

Axel watched his wistful profile and sighed silently.

* * *

Saïx was standing in the lobby when several Dusks arrived, carrying an unconscious Xion.

_This doll was Vexen’s finest masterpiece. The perfect tool. Or at least it was._

“Hmph. Take it to its room.”

The Dusks complied, bringing Xion to her room. They placed her in bed.

Saïx stared down at her, totally unaware of the dreams she was having.

_“I simply believed. Nothing more to it. When our world fell into darkness, Belle was taken from me. I vowed I would find her again no matter the cost. I believed I would find her. I will have her back!”_

“Ri...ku...”

_“How will you fight without a weapon?”_   
  
_“I know now—I don’t need the Keyblade. I’ve got a better weapon. My heart.”_

_“Your heart? What good will that weak, little thing do for you?!”_

_“My heart may be weak. But it’s not alone. It’s connected to all the friends I’ve made! I’ve become a part of their heart, just as they’ve become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then, if they don’t forget me… then my heart can’t disappear. I don’t need a weapon. My friends are my power!”_

Xion quietly murmured, “My...friends...are my...power.”

Saïx turned his head in disgust. “Friends? How absurd.”

_Now that this puppet has formed an identity, does Axel think of it as a friend?_

_Ultimately, what are friends?_

_What is a heart?_

_I know from my human memories. To be a friend means making a connection with your heart._

_Is there any meaning to being friends when you exist as a Nobody?_

He remembered the words Lea told him a long, long time ago.

_“I wasn’t trying to help you so much because I thought you were worthless. I was just...afraid of losing you. You’re my best friend.”_

_Back then, I thought if you didn’t need me, then I no longer held meaning. However, reality was different. Our hearts were connected._

_But...neither of us have hearts any longer._

_You have no heart, so I’m no longer worth anything to you. You don’t need me anymore. You prefer the company of a puppet._

* * *

It was the morning of day 172.

Saïx stood in his usual post. “Luxord, you’re scheduled to work with Roxas today.”

“Roxas, you say? Well, I believe that’s a first.”

“I intended for him to work alongside Xion, but Number Fourteen failed and hasn’t awoken yet.”  
  
Luxord stroked his beard. “I see. Must have been quite the mission.”

Saïx said nothing and waited for Roxas.

When he finally got to the lobby, Luxord greeted him. “How’s the game been treating you, Roxas?”

“Uh…okay, I guess.” He wasn’t quite sure how to reply; he hardly ever talked with Luxord.

“I’m told Saïx shuffled us together for today’s mission. We’ll make a decent team, I wager.”

“Sure.” Roxas was fairly certain he hadn’t been on a mission with him before.

“By the way, did you hear what happened to Xion?”

That was not a topic Roxas had been expecting to confront. Startled, he looked up.

“She failed a mission, and now she’s fallen asleep,” Luxord went on. “Can’t win them all, I suppose…”

“Xion?!” It looked like Luxord had more to say, but Roxas didn’t wait to hear it. He left the lobby at a run. His chest ached with anxiety.

Saïx didn’t let him get far. “And where do you think you’re going, Roxas?”

He stopped short and turned. “To see Xion.”

“What about your mission?”

“Don’t worry; I’ll do it.”

“Xion will not wake up. Even if you go, you won’t be able to do a thing for it.”

“That’s not the point!” Roxas snapped. “I should still be with her!”

Saïx sounded vaguely disgusted. “Why are you so concerned for a broken, defective failure?”

“Don’t call her that!” Roxas stalked up to him, glaring furiously.

“I’ll call that thing whatever I want. How we deal with Xion has nothing to do with you.”

“I don’t remember asking you,” Roxas retorted.

“Look at you…” Saïx shook his head faintly. “All up in arms over a creature that shouldn’t exist.”

“What, like a Nobody? We’re all Nobodies!”

“You have nothing to worry about,” said Saïx. “Xion may be beyond repair, but that does not affect your standing with us.”

“My sta—? Argh, you’re like a broken record!” Roxas fumed. “I’ll do my mission later.” He turned his back on Saïx and sprinted away. He stayed in Xion’s for a few minutes, leaving a shell with her.

Axel made it to the Grey Area just as Roxas was stepping into the Corridors of Darkness. Luxord was right behind him.

 _Now, there’s an odd couple._ “So, Saïx, what am I doing to—? Oh, boy. Awfully early for such a bad mood, don’t you think?”

Saïx had whirled to face him with a rather pronounced scowl. “…Nobodies do not have ‘moods’ to be ruined,” he said at length.

“Well, sure, technically…” _They certainly shouldn’t, seeing as we don’t have hearts and all, but when undesirable affairs come about, we show reactions according to the emotions in our memories. In any case, that wrinkle in his already scarred brow is making an appearance._

“Did I miss something?” Axel wondered.

“Xion has collapsed again.”

Now Axel frowned. _I sure have missed something._ “Did she get hurt or what?”

“No,” Saïx replied, any hint of expression vanishing from his face. “It’s just that the failure was functioning better than expected until recently.”

“‘The failure’? Is that what we’re calling her now?”

 _Saïx’s estimation of Xion seems to have plummeted lower than ever. True, she lost badly against the Organization impostor—but that was_ Riku. _Defeat was all but inevitable against him. Failing to carry out a mission is unacceptable, of course, but I don’t think that’s what Xion has done. She could always challenge Riku again. If the mission was so unsuited to her in the first place, though, Saïx ought to know better as the one in charge of handing out assignments. And I’m beginning to suspect at least some of the blame lay with him. Saïx holds some particular grudge against Xion…_

“Never mind that. Your mission is to continue searching for Riku.”

“Sure, gotcha.”

“I do need you to find him sometime soon.”

“Well, I’m sure he’ll be in the last place I look.”

“Get going.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Axel muttered, already walking away. He glanced back at Saïx. “Hey, so…our plan’s making progress, right?”

“Just as long as you don’t do anything foolish.”

Axel shrugged at the tetchy warning and left the castle.

* * *

“What is Xion’s condition?” Xemnas asked from his place atop the highest chair. It was just him and Saïx there.

“Xion continues to sleep,” Saïx explained. “All analysis on its function suggests no marked change. The copying appears to be working. But its sensors show great signs of unrest from time to time. It is my opinion...that it has broken down completely. I think it’s time to bring in a new Replica—”

“Not to worry.”

Saïx looked up, not expecting that answer.

“She is merely dreaming.”

“...Dreaming?”

“Our plan remains unchanged. All is as the great Kingdom Hearts wills it.”

Saïx turned his head so Xemnas could not see his scowl. _The organization has no use for a puppet that is able to think for itself. At present, it is nothing short of broken. I cannot fathom why Xemnas would want to keep it._

    

* * *

Deep beneath the castle, down the long spiral staircase, two men walked through the white hallway and approached one of the many electronically barred prison cells.

Braig peered inside the cell’s small barred window. “I dunno, Xehanort. Is this defective specimen really of any further value to us? I mean, just look at it. It’s totally broken. And you’re saying you want to keep it?” He looked to the side, eager to see his reaction.

“My pilot studies used a number of subjects, but none possessed the fortitude to endure them. Ultimately, the experiments caused all the test subjects’ hearts to collapse, including those of the most stalwart. My treatment produced no signs of recovery. I confined those who had completely lost their hearts here beneath the castle.”

Braig knew that all too well. “Right. In this graveyard.”

“As you know, all the subjects subsequently transformed into Heartless, which began multiplying rapidly.” Xehanort peered inside the cell. “But as you can see, this specimen has yet to lose its human form.”

“A subject with no mind of its own. Yet its heart hasn’t collapsed. Essentially...a living puppet.” Braig observed Xehanort’s expression closely to see if that rang any bells.

“It would be a heavy blow to lose a subject as unique as this one. It is quite valuable to us.”

The two men then walked away, leaving the unresponsive Isa alone in the dark cell.

* * *

Axel’s mission today took him to a place he’d been before—the Beast’s Castle. He spent hours scouring the huge halls and various rooms, defeating many Heartless in his way.

Now he found himself outside, in the courtyard. He looked up at the night sky. This world had a large round full moon as well. _I heard that this was the world where Xion first fought him._ _So, I know that he’s been here before._

Just then, he heard the large front doors of the castle slowly creak open.

“Uh-oh!” Axel created a dark portal and transported himself to a balcony. From this high perch, he had a nice view of the courtyard down below. He leaned over the balcony and observed several of the castle’s inhabitants as they tumbled outside.

“It was magnificent!” Lumière jumped with joy. “Belle rushed over to the master’s side and took him in her arms. I knew at that moment that love had blossomed between the two.”

“It seems the spell will be broken, after all,” Mrs. Potts swooned. “I just know the master will learn to love, and earn love in return before the last petal falls. I can feel it; the spell will be broken very soon. We’re going to be human again.”

“Ah, to be human again,” said Cogsworth.

“Yes, think of what that means. I’ll be sure to cook you all a wonderful feast on that day.”

“I’ll be back to my dapper self, courting all the mademoiselles! How about you, Cogsworth?”

“Hopefully far away. In a shack by the sea, sipping a cup of tea, enjoying my early retirement. Ahhh.”

Axel peered down at them all. _So, the residents of this castle are under a spell. That explains why they’re all various knickknacks. It seems like the spell can only be broken by love. Roxas was here the other day. This must be why he was asking me about it._

Just then, the castle’s beastly master came out of the doors. “What are you all doing out here!? It’s dangerous! The Heartless could come back at any time!” 

“Our deepest apologies, master.” Lumière bowed reverently. “We were just discussing how excited we all were to finally become human again.”

“Hmph. Aren’t you getting a bit ahead of yourselves? She has to fall in love with me first.”

“Why, I daresay,” he responded. “She seems to be falling quite hard after you so heroically risked your life fending off those Heartless. You saw how worried she was, didn’t you?”

“It’s true. I’ve...never seen her get so worked up before. But still. She’s so beautiful, and I’m so...well, just look at me...” He lowered his head in resignation. “Who am I kidding? She’ll never fall for someone like me.”

Cogsworth had to intervene and remind him. “Ah-ah-ah. Remember what the enchantress said, master. She warned you not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.”

“That’s right,” Mrs. Potts asserted. “You must help her to see past your appearance, sire.”

Lumière was now getting animated. “Yes, master, as much as I appreciate beauty, I know a thing or two about love, as well.”

Cogsworth rolled his eyes at that, but bit back his words.

“You see, love sees things with the heart, not the eyes. That is why they say love is blind.”

 _Love is blind,_ Axel thought. _Maybe in a way, I’m blind, too. Blinded by my memories, that is._

“Love can turn even the most worthless, vile, ugly—” Lumière stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the Beast staring at him. He exaggeratedly coughed. “Ahem.”

Mrs. Potts helped him out of his awkward position. “Well, if you ask me, there’s definitely _something_ there that wasn’t there before.”

Cogsworth began nodding vigorously. “Yes, master. I concur. The way she looked at you was unmistakable.”

“I don’t know...”

Just then, Belle stepped out into the courtyard. “What are you doing out here!? I told you to stay in bed!”

At Belle’s harsh scolding, Cogsworth deflated. “Oh, my. Perhaps we spoke too soon. I-I must beg her to forgive him!”

“Oh... Belle...” the Beast stammered, looking like a child being disciplined. Then he turned around to go back inside. But as he turned around suddenly, he felt his strength give out and fell into a slump on the ground.

“Beast!” She fell to his side.

“I’m sorry, Belle. A master protects his castle. But I failed. I can’t protect you or the others like this at all.”

“Please don’t think like that, master!” Cogsworth cried. “It’s the thought that counts!”

Belle’s voice shifted to become soft and nurturing. She placed a hand on his back. “That doesn’t matter. All I’ve wanted lately was to spend more time with you. That’s why I wanted to help.”

He looked into her eyes. “Belle...”

“You shouldn’t be up and about yet. Please, don’t push yourself. You need to rest.”

“Y-yes. You’re right...”

Belle smiled at him warmly. “Come on inside. I made you some tea.”

The servants all smiled, too, as Belle led him back inside. They followed shortly after.

* * *

The mission complete, Axel went to the usual spot to watch the sunset over ice cream.

As Roxas was squinting against the brilliance of the setting sun, Axel came up behind him and took his own customary seat.

Roxas gave him a glance but soon turned back to the sunset. Then he said, without meeting Axel’s eyes, “So something happened to Xion…”

Hugging one knee to his chest, Axel answered him. “Yeah, Saïx told me this morning.”

Roxas slumped over. “Why does he hate her so much…?” 

Axel was a bit taken aback. _Out of habit, Nobodies might say we like or hate things, but none of us really have those emotions—not the way Roxas meant it._ “What d’you mean by that?” He laughed. “You just can’t stop talking like a real person, can you?”

Then Roxas finally turned to face him. “What did I say?” He seemed uncertain, his gaze wavering, and he hung his head again. “I don’t know how real people talk…” he mumbled.

 _Roxas must feel like he doesn’t know anything_ , Axel thought. _Well, I don’t have the best handle on things myself, but I’m slightly less clueless._ He shifted, relaxing the leg he was clasping. “Are you that worried over Xion?”

“It’s just…when I saw her lying there, she was so quiet. It made me think she might never wake up.” Roxas’s voice was hushed with something very much like fear.

“I’m sure she’s fine.” _The best I can offer is empty words of comfort._

Roxas closed his eyes for a moment, as if he had to say something terribly important, and took a breath that he let out in a sigh. “Saïx called her ‘broken.’”

Axel sighed, too.

_He’s always been this way. Cold and tactless. Ever since... he was first born as a Nobody. If he’s a little twisted, I suppose it’s not just the lack of a heart. I can blame the memories of his human life for that. We don’t have emotions. We base all our actions on our memories. Of course, I can’t expect Roxas to understand something like that._

Axel looked at Roxas, the special Nobody without any human memories of his own.

_I have my doubts that Saïx realizes just how special Roxas and Xion are. How they seem to process things with an emotional quality that none of us other Nobodies have. Speak in such cold, dispassionate terms to one of them, and it’ll provoke the opposite reaction—just as if they have hearts. But whether they’re unknowingly reliving emotions from when they were human, or whether it’s something unique to them, I couldn’t say. Roxas is the Nobody of the hero of light, while Xion, I suspect, has something to do with him, too. Maybe that makes them more special than even I know._

_Anyway, Saïx doesn’t understand that. Despite the lack of a heart, he can imagine what it’s like to have emotional responses based on what he remembers from his human life. And he must be able to remember how much of a pain in the ass it is._

_Since I’m already overthinking things, though, I have to wonder if I’m letting Roxas and Xion have too much influence on me._ _All these thoughts of “friends” and “promises” are taking over my life. Almost as if I’m rejecting my identity as a Nobody. That would definitely be considered abnormal for a member of Organization XIII. I’m...not like Roxas and Xion..._

“Hmm... Well, if it cheers you up, I’m probably a lot more broken than her,” Axel admitted, almost to himself. 

_I’m much more broken than Roxas and Xion. They’re always so dutiful. Loyal to their missions. No, not just missions—Saïx and I continue to betray the Organization._

Deep in thought, Roxas just sat there and stared at nothing.

Axel couldn’t help but notice his blank expression.

The clock tower’s bells chimed the hour. A train sped away in the distance.

* * *

Lea noticed a “Keep Out” sign blocking a stairway. He felt like he needed somewhere to escape for a while as he waited for the train to arrive.

He led Isa up the staircase and sat him on the ledge of the clock tower. He sat right beside him, then looked to his side at the profile of his face.

_They left a giant X-shaped scar on his face. What the hell did they do to him? I heard them call him “X”. What is that supposed to mean?_

Lea sighed heavily.

 _I have no idea what’s wrong with him. He hasn’t spoken a word to me since I found him. I don’t know if he’ll...ever_ _speak to me again._

His chest clenched tightly.

_I don’t know who brought him to this world. Or why. I’m sure those guys are looking for him right now. They called him a “defective specimen,” but I know they wanted him back. It must be so they can do more experiments on him. They think he’s their personal toy or something._

“Specimen”. He couldn’t get that word out of his head.

_Talking about Isa like he’s not even human. A lab rat. No—not even that. Some kind of...empty husk. A living puppet. A thing._

Looking at him, that’s what he’d been reduced to, in a way. A mute shell of his former self, with no will of his own. All he was capable of was mindlessly obeying orders. He stood up, sat down, and followed when Lea asked him to. But that was all. To those scientists, he was worthless until he became their favorite lab rat. But to Lea, he was more precious than anything.

Lea put his hand on Isa’s back and gently rubbed it. “I’ll never take you back to Radiant Garden, don’t worry. Those guys will never hurt you again. You’re safe with me.”

He felt immense anger welling up as he looked at Isa’s scarred face. His whole body trembled with rage. He felt so sick to his stomach, he might throw up. _Using people for their disgusting experiments. I hate them. I hate them. I hate them SO much..._ The tears that were beginning to form in his eyes stung a little.

The soft warm glow of the red sunset was thankfully there to offer him comfort. He squinted under its brilliance, and it somehow soothed him. The tears subsided. It felt like, under that light, the pain he felt might be bearable, after all.

The sun sank lower and lower as he watched, his mind wandered. If he stared for too long, the image would burn itself into his eyes, visible even after his eyes were closed. He closed his eyes and made a wish that day, underneath the bright gentle sun.

_It might be impossible, but...I wish that Isa would wake up soon. It would be nice to just sit here and talk to him and laugh together. Yeah. That would be so nice...  
_

Isa stared ahead, as blank and unaware as ever.

 _They said his mind collapsed. But his heart hasn’t. It’s still in there somewhere. He might not be aware of me, but... if he can_ feel _me here beside him, that’s all that matters._

Lea grabbed his hand and held it tightly. It was warm. “I’ve been doing some odd jobs around town to make munny so we can stay in the hotel. Once I save up a bit, let’s go to the beach. I told you I’d take you there, so I will. We’ll have so much fun together. Our own...little vacation.”

 _We won’t be able to run or play frisbee or swim._ Lea felt his chest ache and looked once more to into the sunset.

“We can just sit on the sand, and feel the waves against our feet. And...we can watch the sunset. It’s so pretty in this town. Yeah. I’ll definitely take you there. I promise,” he said softly.

* * *

“I think maybe Saïx knows something about her… About why Xion and I are special Nobodies,” said Roxas.

 _Well, sure._ _Saïx definitely knows._ “If it’s gonna keep you up at night…” Axel sighed. “I could ask him for you.”

“Really?!” Roxas grinned at that.

 _Not a Nobody-like reaction by any means._ Axel shrugged and eyed him with a wry smile. “Hey, calm down! I’ll ask, but don’t get your hopes up. He’s not the best at giving straight answers.”

“But you’ve still got a way better chance!” Roxas still sounded excited.

“I’ll give you that,” said Axel, avoiding a concrete reply. He gazed out at the sunset. _That red, same as ever. That color still looks the same to me now as it did when I was human. Some things don’t change even when you become a Nobody._

“I hope Xion wakes up soon…” Roxas murmured.

 _That would be nice_. _If only the three of us could just waste our time talking and laughing together again._ _That would be nice…_

* * *

As soon as he returned to the castle, Axel went to call on Saïx.

He passed Xion’s room and took a peek inside to see if her condition improved.

_Seashells... I guess Roxas left them there._

He continued walking.

_There are other things besides Xion that I want to discuss. Well, to be more precise, there are plenty of other things I need to bring up. I haven’t been speaking to him much lately._

He placed his hand on the door, lingering for just a second.

_It’s messed up. Why am I trying to put Saïx in charge of the Organization…? Perhaps I’m only encouraging him to be even more twisted. If he does get to the top, what then?_

“Well, this is a rare occasion.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Saïx swiveled his chair around. His room was in the depths of the castle—although it was more like an office, overflowing with documents and materials. “It means you hardly ever come looking for me these days.”

“So? I’ve got something to discuss with you, for a change.”

“Very funny,” Saïx remarked flatly.

_He’s the one being sarcastic._

He never spoke like that in front of any of the other members—only Axel. It was something he could only be towards him; something special that could only have been born from the relationship Saïx and Axel had had as humans.

“Is this about the defective thing in our midst?” asked Saïx.

“Mind reader, are we? Am I that easy to read?” Axel shrugged.

“Yes, because you’re simple. You always were. That hasn’t changed.”

“Simple? Excuse me? You’re a rude one. Were you always such a jerk?” Axel retorted, taking a seat on a shelf right across from Saïx.

“Don’t sit on that.”

“Then put another chair in here.” He let his legs swing, the way he would sit at the usual spot.

“Somehow, I doubt that would stop you,” said Saïx. “Anyway, I’m not going to talk to you about the failure.”

“Failure, failure… You don’t have to say it like that, do you? She has a name, you know.”

Saïx gave Axel a dirty look.

“It’s just, you’re always so hard on Xion. I just can’t make any sense of it. I mean, we’ve all failed a mission or two.”

“I told you to not get too involved.” Saïx swiveled his chair, turning his back on Axel to end the conversation.

Axel could feel nothing but a will of rejection from that back. “Well, I’m simply caught up in it. If there’s something going on, please don’t hide it from me. Tell me.” Axel got up off the shelf and put his hand on Saïx’s shoulder from behind, peering into his face. It was the way he acted with Isa as a a human.

The technique didn’t work so well with Saïx, though. “Does that mean you’ll tell me everything, without hiding anything?”

“So it’s tit for tat, huh?” Caught out, Axel grimaced with a short laugh.

 _Maybe we’ve both been less than forthcoming with each other lately…and I’ve been too forthcoming with Roxas and Xion._ “Hey, Saïx...”

But Saïx barely spared him a glance and brushed Axel’s hand from his shoulder. “Xion is not qualified to be counted among us.”

Chilled by the flat rejection in that low voice, Axel stepped back. “What do you mean?” _There has to be something to what Saïx just said. Why isn’t Xion qualified to be one of us?_

Saïx still didn’t look at him. “Just look at it. I have nothing more to tell you.”

 _Look at what? The fact that she looks like Naminé? Xion and Naminé must be connected. Whose Nobody is Xion, anyway? What is Saïx hiding?_ _In any case, if Saïx is saying that, he probably means it. He’s not gonna tell me any more._

Axel stared at Saïx’s back.

 _Both of us have definitely changed since those times._ “…I wonder which of us it was that changed,” Axel muttered under his breath.

Just for an instant, he saw Saïx’s shoulders tremble for just a second. But he wasn’t about to hold his breath for more. Axel showed himself out.


	15. Day 193: Memories & Day 194: The Replica

Naminé and DiZ gazed up at the pod. The air in the climate-controlled room should have been comfortable, but it felt stuffy somehow.

“You seem to be struggling,” DiZ remarked.

Naminé’s gaze dropped. “I think a Nobody is interfering…”

“A Nobody?” DiZ’s voice dripped with disgust.

“What if some of his memories are getting lost?” Naminé went on, keeping her eyes on the floor. “There would be no way for me to finish, no matter how long I try to line the pieces back up. If that happens, if the memories find their way into someone else and get linked to theirs…he’ll never get them back.”

Sora’s memories were leaking away. If they simply flowed into his Nobody, that would be easy enough to remedy. But they were being carried somewhere else, somewhere completely unexpected. Maybe this was their punishment for toying with others’ memories.

“I’m sure he can do without a memory or two,” said DiZ.

“But what if he needs those memories to wake up?” Naminé insisted. “What if they’re the key?”

“Naminé… You are a witch who has power over Sora and those connected to him. Do you see something I cannot?”

She looked up at the pod where Sora slept. “If his memories join with hers…she’ll never survive it.”

“She?” DiZ repeated.

Naminé shook her head.

* * *

_“A Keyblade that unlocks people’s hearts... I wonder.”_

_“Sora?”_

_“Sora, hold on!”_

_“No, wait!”_

_“Sora... Sora!”_

_“Sora!”_

_“Sora! Come back, Sora!”_

“Wuh?!” When she opened her eyes and sat up, Xion saw Roxas before her. But he wasn’t the one she’d heard calling to her. 

“Xion… Good morning.”

“Oh. M-morning…” 

“Um, I just— You startled me. You woke up so suddenly.”

“S-sorry.” She looked down apologetically and saw the pile of seashells beside her. “Oh… Did you bring me these?” She picked one up and held it to her ear. Maybe the ocean waves in her ears had really been seashells the whole time.

“Can you hear it?” asked Roxas.

“Yeah… The sound of waves.” But why? Why did that sound give her such a strange feeling? Xion opened the eyes she had closed for a moment, and asked Roxas, “How long was I asleep?

“About twenty days.”

“That long!?” She knew she’d been sleeping for some time. She just hadn’t expected to hear such a high number. Anyway, she couldn’t even remember why she’d fallen into such a deep sleep— No, she’d fainted. The last thing she could recall was thinking she wouldn’t lose to Riku. But why had she collapsed like that?

“Yeah, it was a while,” said Roxas. “Me and Axel were getting worried.”

“I’m sorry I made you worry…I feel bad.” It bothered her that she’d missed almost three weeks of action, but not as much as realizing she’d left Roxas and Axel to worry about her for so long. Something painfully tight clenched in her chest. “Strange, huh? Kind of weird that we can feel anything at all. Without having hearts to feel with...”

“Yeah...”

Xion looked up at Roxas. “Hey, don’t you have work today?”

“Huh? Oh…I’m about to head out.”

“I want to go with you,” she told him in no uncertain terms. 

A slight frown of concern came to his face. “But don’t you need some more rest?”

Maybe he was still worried. But she wanted to get going. “After sleeping for three weeks? I’ll be fine. C’mon, let me tag along.” Did her urge to come along have something to do with the dream? She wasn’t sure. She just knew she wanted to help out in some way.

Roxas took a few reluctant moments before giving in. “All right.”

Xion immediately jumped out of bed.

* * *

Now they just had to persuade Saïx. They discussed it briefly and stopped their superior just outside the lobby. “Saïx!”

He glanced sidelong at Xion. “Well, well. It lives. There’s just no keeping you down.”

She faced him directly and took a deep breath. “I want to go with Roxas on his mission today. Two of us can gather more hearts, right?”

Saïx seemed to consider it briefly, but glanced down at his notes. “You belong in your room. You shouldn’t be up and about yet.”

That was not a reply she’d anticipated. He sounded…well, _worried_ was the wrong word, but at least somewhat concerned for her health as a member of the Organization.

As she tried to formulate a response, Axel showed up. “Oh, hey, Xion! Finally awake.”

“Morning, Axel.” A smile came to her face when she turned to him. He would help them out.

“Roxas will team up with Axel today, as scheduled,” Saïx told Xion. “Xion, I’m afraid I didn’t know you’d be available. I neglected to pencil you in.” Apparently, he was also relieved at Axel’s interruption.

“Let me go, too,” Xion entreated. “Don’t keep me pent up in here. I want to stretch my muscles.”

A pause turned into a silence just slightly too long.

“What’s the problem?” Axel finally said. “I’ll be there to chaperone, right? So it won’t be just Roxas. She’ll have me looking after her, too. I promise not to let her out of my sight.”

Still, Saïx made no reply. He and Axel appeared to be in a staring contest—and not an entirely friendly one. There was no doubt. They both were remembering _that_ day.

* * *

Isa slowly opened his eyes as he lay on the bed in his cell. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been in bed, but he was so groggy. He had the feeling he’d been asleep for a pretty long time. 

It didn’t take long for Braig to show up in front of his cell, to check up on him.

“I’m so sorry! I overslept!”

“You sure did. Slept for over a day.” He put his hand through the bars and patted him on the head. “Got a bit of bedhead. Hah!”

 _I slept for that long!?_ _But how? Why didn’t they wake me up?_ “Where do you want me to go today!?”

“Nowhere.”

_...What?_

“You don’t have to bother getting out of bed today, either. Your little pal was worried, so he asked to give ya another day off. Said he’d handle all the work.” What Braig said was completely true, but he had other motives as well. He wanted to observe the Heartless’ behavioral patterns while Isa slept. Nothing out of the ordinary was observed yesterday, though. 

_Lea..._ “I’m feeling better today. I wanna get up and move around. Please give me a mission.”

“Hehe. Such a hard worker. Well, if you say so.” Braig didn’t really care either way. He led Isa to the caverns, as usual, then left.  
  
As soon as Lea saw him arrive, he darted over. “Hey, what are _you_ doing here? You shouldn’t be up and about yet!”

Isa hung his head sadly. “I heard that you worked double duty yesterday because of me. Sorry.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Lea snapped back.

This only made Isa feel more guilty. _It doesn’t even matter to him whether I get out of bed or not._

“Look, I’m just gonna be straight with you. You’re not in any condition to be out here. I can tell just by looking at you. You still need more rest. I’ll take care of things today, you just find a spot to lie down.”

“But I rested all day yesterday.”

“So what!? You’ll just be in the way in your condition!”

Isa sighed. “I’ll be fine. You worry too much.” 

This time Lea sighed. “If you want to fight that badly, fine. But at least let me come with you so I can keep an eye on you.”

“That’s really not necessary,” he explained calmly. “I’ll just slow you down that way. We’ll get things done a lot quicker if we split up. Then we’ll have way more time to rest together afterwards. How’s that sound?”

 _Seriously!? He’s worried more about break time afterwards!?_ “Isa, I’m serious! You’re being irresponsible! You need to take this more seriously! It’s not a game, ya know!”

Isa looked Lea dead in the eye. “Lea. Please. I know I can do this. Just respect my wishes.”

Lea hung his head in defeat. _I guess I have no choice._ He looked up at Isa pleadingly. “Just...take it easy. Don’t push yourself too hard, okay? And don’t get careless or let your guard down.”

Isa nodded. “I won’t.”

* * *

“Fine. Do what you want,” Saïx capitulated. He retreated to his post in the lobby. 

Roxas and Xion watched him go and exchanged glances, then broke into grins. This would be their first mission as a trio.

“I can’t help but think I might get in your way," said Xion. “But I’ll try hard not to slow you down!"

Roxas encouraged her. “Don’t worry about it! If you take it easy, you’ll be fine!”

Saïx stared at them wordlessly as they engaged in banter and entered the dark corridor.

* * *

The mission was in Twilight Town, the home of their usual spot.

“This should be fun, huh? We’re tripling up!” Xion giggled.

Roxas grinned back. “Probably for the first time in the Organization.”

“C’mon, guys. It’s a mission, not a game,” Axel chided them half-heartedly.

“Yeah, yeah. Still, it sure is nice to be back on my feet.”

Axel gave her another warning, seriously this time. “Just don’t push it, okay? We’ll pick up the slack and take care of the Heartless.”

“Really? But I have to do something to help!”

“It’s okay!" Roxas assured. “Remember what Saïx said? ‘You had better not start moving yet’ or whatever. We can’t let you overdo it, okay?”

“I hear you.” Xion nodded. She wouldn’t go too hard. If she passed out again, she’d lose everything for sure. But that wouldn’t happen—not with both Roxas and Axel to help. If anything went badly, she knew they would have her back.

“So the mission… Eliminate the giant Heartless of the day.” Axel rubbed the back of his neck. “It sounds like a tough one.”

“But we know it’s big. At least that makes it easy to guess where it’ll appear,” said Roxas. “I’m guessing the sandlot or the station plaza?”

“Sounds good to me,” Xion agreed.

There were some large open areas at the tram common, and in front of the haunted mansion, too, but chances were good a giant Heartless would try one of the other two places first.

“Well, let’s hurry and take it out so we can have ourselves some ice cream.” Roxas set off with purpose.

Xion wasn’t far behind. “Yeah, and we’re already in Twilight Town! It’ll be right there once we’re done!”

“You’re not wrong…but don’t get careless or let your guard down,” Axel told them, bringing up the rear. “Hold your horses and worry about the prize _after_ the mission.”

“Quit being such a worrywart, Axel,” said Roxas.

“Maybe I could if you two would quit giving me so much to worry about,” he retorted.

Xion and Roxas exchanged a look and laughed.

“So…where are we headed first?” Axel asked.

“Station plaza,” Roxas replied.

“Any particular reason?”

“We want to be able to get back to the tram common to get ice cream, right?”

“Huh?” Axel wasn’t following.

“So we’ll start at the farthest point away from the tram common and work our way toward it. That’ll make it easier once we’re done.”

“That’s smart, Roxas!” Xion exclaimed.

“It is…?” Axel mumbled.

Xion thought Axel wasn’t getting it. But that didn’t really matter. Working together as a trio in Twilight Town just made things more fun. But then… It happened as soon as she stepped into the station plaza. The world…tilted. Everything spun and swam and went dark.

_“You can’t go.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“Because it’s way too dangerous.”_

_“C’mon, Sora. We made it this far by sticking together. You can’t go alone!”_   
  
_“Kairi, even if we’re apart, we’re not alone anymore. Right?”_

_“I can’t help?”_

_“Well, you’d kind of be in the way.”_

_“Okay. You win. Take this._ _It’s my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me!”_

_“Don’t worry. I will.”_

_“Promise?”_

_“Promise.”_

Axel rushed over and picked her up from the ground.

“Xion!” cried a panicked Roxas—and a growl came from behind him. That would be their target. He whirled around.

“I’ve got Xion,” Axel called to him. “You take care of that thing.”

“Right!” Roxas nodded, summoning the Keyblade to his hand as he charged the Heartless.

Once Roxas had it under control, Axel hoisted up Xion and darted toward the shelter of the station in the giant Heartless’s blind spot. “Xion!” He called her name, gently setting her down, but she was unresponsive.

 _I’ve been so careless. I have no idea exactly why Xion seems to collapse so often. But she does, so why would she be allowed to go on a mission immediately after she started to recover?_ The regret kept piling on. As he berated himself, something occurred to him. _Saïx kept telling me not to concern myself too deeply. He obviously has no intention of divulging anything more to me about Xion. So, in that case, the only thing to do is to find answers for myself._

She stirred in his arms. “Xion?” An instant later, he saw Roxas deal the finishing blow to the giant Heartless. The heart it released vanished into the sky.  
  
Then Xion uttered a weak murmur. “Sora…” The look on her face was very anguished.

Axel stared down at her, not sure he’d heard correctly. _Sora…? How does Xion know that name? She told me she had no memories, but...she’s clearly remembering_ something _right now._  
  
Axel was familiar with some of Sora’s memories due to his time in Castle Oblivion. He remembered the moment Kairi caught Sora as he disappeared in her arms. She must have thought he was gone forever.

* * *

There weren’t many Heartless in the area Lea was assigned, but he barely even bothered fighting them. The truth was, he was worried sick.

_The last time I tried helping him, he got mad at me. Today he told me to respect his wishes._

A friend’s got to respect his friend’s decisions, of course. Even if you intend to do something for their sake and help them out, it was more important to listen to what they wanted. That was what he was supposed to do. But...it wasn’t what he _wanted_ to do.

After quickly defeating another Heartless, he anxiously peered over at the large white door.

_Damn it! That’s it. I’ve had enough. I’m SO sick of all this worrying. This isn’t a game. I don’t care what he says. I’m gonna go help him out. Let him get mad at me. I don’t care. It’s better than him getting himself killed due to his irrational stubbornness._

Lea darted across the cavern towards the location Isa was assigned. By the time he got there, a large amount of Heartless were there—a type he had never seen before. These Neoshadow Heartless were larger and had a humanoid shape compared to the normal Shadows. Lea spotted Isa who was lying on the ground as several Neoshadows surrounded him.  
  
“ISA!!” _Noo! I’m too late! I’m too late!_

Lea tried rushing to his side, but the Heartless lunged at him. He realized he’d have to take them out first and they were a lot more formidable than the usual foes. In a total state of rage, Lea balled his hands into fists and he raised his arms as they began trembling. “GET THE HELL OUTTA MY WAY!!!” he shouted as loud as possible. 

As soon as he did, an enormous flurry of flames powerfully erupted in the air around him.

“DAMN YOU STUPID HEARTLESS!!” As Lea’s anger intensified, the flurry of flames grew stronger and flickered about, almost as if they were dancing. The large inferno circled around, with him and Isa safely in the center. Any Heartless in the vicinity of the scorching blaze were instantly incinerated. 

After the danger was gone, Lea collapsed to his knees at Isa’s side, trembling and barely able to breathe. All the tension and anxiety that had been building up recently came to a boil. He gently cradled Isa in his arms. His face was so pale and limpid and he was so quiet that Lea wondered if he was even breathing. It was very alarming.

“Isa, wake up!! Please!” he whimpered. Then he grabbed his hand. It was cold. That was when he started crying.

 _Why!? Why did I let him fight alone!? This is all my fault! I knew he looked too weak to fight! He wasn’t ready to be moving yet! I should have listened to my gut and stayed with him! I’m so stupid!_

“AAHH!” he wailed.

* * *

_So, this is how the Organization does things. Saïx. He had to know this was going to happen. And he still let me come out here today._

“Xion!” Roxas came running to them and peered at her anxiously.

“It’s okay. She’s not hurt,” said Axel.

“But, Axel—” Roxas was only going to fret more.

Axel stood up with her in is arms. “Let’s just get back.” He didn’t give Roxas a moment to argue before he set off.

* * *

They returned to the silent halls of the vast castle. Axel was carrying Xion with Roxas glued to his side. Her face was so pale it seemed translucent—not a comforting sight.

“Did it break again? That didn’t take long. That’s why I told _it_ not to move.” Only Saïx would make such a callous remark.

Rage surged up in Roxas, and he spun around. “Don’t call her an ‘it’!”

He was on the verge of throwing a punch, but Axel stepped in between them, still holding the unconscious Xion. He didn’t look at Saïx, but he did have one thing to say. “Keep your mouth shut.”

Roxas had never heard him speak so coldly to anyone before.

“You have changed...” Saïx told the retreating Axel. “Something at Castle Oblivion changed you. Does the past mean nothing to you now?”

Axel was reminded of his own words to Sora in Castle Oblivion.

_“But be forewarned… When your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be who you are now.”_

Roxas spent one more moment glaring daggers at Saïx before following Axel out of the room. “Axel!”

“What?”

“…Was it okay to talk to him like that?”

“Talk to him how?” Axel’s voice sounded just a bit lower than usual.

“I mean… you and Saïx are usually pretty close, aren’t you?”

“Close, whatever. You’re the one who went and flared up in the first place.”

“Well, yeah, but…” Something just felt wrong about it—Axel was putting distance between himself and Saïx. Just like Xion did with him. And not just that…

“Open the door, would you?” said Axel, stopping outside Xion’s room.

“Oh—right.” Roxas fumbled to open it, and there was her room, no different than it was this morning.

Axel set her down softly on the bed. The great moon was shining just outside the window.

“Mm…” she groaned.

 _Maybe she’s not quite unconscious after all._ Axel watched her carefully.

“Are you worried about her, too, Axel?” The question slipped out before Roxas could stop it.

Axel eyed him in mild surprise. “Of course I am.” But his voice was still oddly low. Running into Saïx had brought out a different side of him—and that side was a little scary. And that scary atmosphere remain unchanged.

"Something feels weird,” said Roxas. “This just doesn’t seem like you.”

“What do you mean?”

_“This place is way bigger than it looked from outside… Yeah, I think we lost him.”_

_“So now what?”_

_“Guess we’ll have to put a pin in that part of the mission. Back to collecting hearts.”_

_“You don’t want to look for him?”_

_“Nah. I mean, I would’ve liked to know what he was up to, but finding out about this cave is enough for today. Besides, this place is huge. Searching for one lunkhead in here would be a royal pain in the ass. Way too much trouble.”_

Roxas found he couldn’t quite put the answer into words. All he knew was that Axel didn’t like things to be a hassle. He was always complaining ‘What a pain’ or ‘What a drag’. “I mean, you hate troublesome things, right, Axel?” That was the best he could do. It wasn’t quite right, either…but he didn’t know how to describe this. 

Axel looked away as Roxas was trying to find the words for another attempt.

* * *

“Isa, please wake up...”

Just then, Isa slowly began to open his eyes. “Mm?”

“Ah—! Isa! A-are you okay!?”

The first thing Isa saw was Lea’s panicked face filled with tears. “Uh...yes...I’m fine.” He was still a bit disoriented. 

Lea heaved a deep sigh of relief, clenching a fist to his chest. His heart was still racing.

Isa got up out of his arms. He was now kneeling on the floor beside Lea who was still on his knees as well. Isa looked around at the flames circling them which were now dying down. _What happened...?_ He looked back at Lea again. _Lea..._

“Aww, dammit...” Lea was still incredibly shaken up. He had his back turned to Isa, clearly embarrassed over his emotional state. He was in the process of wiping his eyes with his sleeve. The tears were finally starting to subside now.

Isa had never seen him cry before, especially not this hard. “Lea... Are you okay?” he asked softly while reaching his hand out in an attempt to touch his shoulder.

“Oh yeah, sure!” Lea snapped back with bitter sarcasm, causing Isa to recoil. “Can’t you see!? I’ve never been better!”

Isa said nothing. He just stared at his back.

“And it’s all thanks to you! I _told_ you that you weren’t ready to be fighting yet! Are you happy now!?” He turned around to face him and started waving his arms around. “Now that you scared the living hell out of me!?”

_He’s never yelled at me like this before..._

“Do you get it now!? This is _exactly_ why I didn’t want to split up in the first place!!”

It was then Isa who turned his back. He spoke up in such a small voice. “...No matter what I do, I’m always causing you trouble..."

That reaction was a far cry from his earlier obstinance. It caused Lea’s demeanor to soften up a bit. “What are you talking about?”

“Remember? You said you always got stuck with the icky jobs. It’s true. I always just get in your way.” His back still turned. “You’re always doing so much for me. But I can never do anything to help you...”

 _What? Where’s all this coming from? I’ve always complained about everything,_ Lea thought. _It’s just a habit. That was nothing but a throwaway comment I made in the heat of the moment. I didn’t mean anything by it. It certainly didn’t mean I was tired of helping him._

“All I wanted to do was grant you your wish.” 

“...My...wish?” _What’s that all about?_

“Yeah. You said you wished you could nap every day. I’ve been causing you so much trouble lately, so... I wanted you to be able to have more time to do what you wanted. But all I did was cause you even more trouble.” The frustration in his voice was obvious.

 _Isa.._. “That’s why you wanted to fight on your own so badly and kept pushing yourself so hard? For me?” All the anger in his voice had vanished at this point.

He nodded, still unable to face Lea.

_I had no idea. So, that’s why he was acting so weird. It was just a misunderstanding. He wasn’t pushing me away. He just thought he was causing me trouble, so he tried to do everything on his own without asking for help. He wanted to give me more time to rest. Only...a best friend would do that for me. But I definitely didn’t want him to do that for me at his own expense._

“But as soon as we split up, I failed my mission! That eyepatch guy told me I was worthless. That they didn’t even need me at all...” His shoulders were trembling and his voice was now low and hushed. “I was afraid that...you didn’t need me anymore, either. And...if you don’t need me, then I no longer have any purpose.”

Those words knocked breath out of Lea. He firmly grabbed Isa’s shoulders and forcibly turned him around to face him. He was practically shaking Isa and shouting. “That’s not true, Isa! You don’t cause me any trouble! I never _ever_ thought that! I would _never_ think that!” His demeanor became softer as he continued, “I wasn’t trying to help you so much because I thought you were worthless. I was just...afraid of losing you.”

Isa just stared at him, but then looked away in shame. He remembered how worried he was when he thought Lea might have disappeared for good. _So, this whole time, Lea was just afraid. I was so caught up in feeling sorry for myself, I didn’t realize what he was going through._

Lea wasn’t finished. “Listen, Isa. You’re my best friend. It isn’t about whether I ‘need’ you or not. When you _feel_ really close to each other—inseparable—that’s enough. That’s all that matters.” 

Isa was at a loss for words. 

Lea got the sense he still needed some cheering up. He hesitated a bit, but eventually spoke up. “Besides, you got it all wrong.”

“Huh?”

“Having more time to rest...” He shrugged dismissively. “I mean, yeah, that would be nice and all. But...that wasn’t even really my wish.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“My real wish is...” It was hard to get the words out. This was something so personal. He never imagined saying it out loud, but he figured now was the right time. He looked away in embarrassment. “...It’s to always be together...with my best friend...”

“Lea...” He could tell he was being completely serious. They both had the same wish and were afraid of the same thing. “I’m _so_ sorry for scaring you like that. You were just worried about me and all you wanted to do was help. But I acted so stupid. I made you cry.”

Lea was still pretty embarrassed to be seen in such a vulnerable position, but he was a lot more cheerful now. “Aww, that’s okay, ya know? I’m done being a crybaby. I’m not afraid anymore. And you shouldn’t be, either.”

“What do you mean?”

He was staring straight at Isa. “Because even if I _do_ lose you, I’m just going to get you back. No matter how much trouble I have to go through. No matter how many times it takes. Every single time. I’ll get you back. Always. I promise. Got it memorized?” He playfully pointed to his temple, just like he always did.

Isa looked away for just a second, then returned Lea’s stare. “Thank you...Lea.” He was smiling widely and his eyes looked a little misty.

 _I really like it when he smiles at me like that._ Lea scratched his neck sheepishly. 

“Ya now, you never really listen to me when I tell you to do something, do you?” Isa joked about it, but deep down it made him happy that Lea cared more about helping him than listening to him.

Lea tilted his head in jest and shrugged innocently. “Well, you _did_ tell me you were working so hard so I’d be able to do what _I_ wanted to, right?”

“Heh. That’s true. I did.”

“Sooo. Will you finally let me start helping you again? I want us to work together from now on. After all, two half pints make a whole.” He was smiling playfully.

Isa was still beaming, too. “Do what you want.”

Lea could tell that Isa trusted him completely. “All right!” He stood up enthusiastically. “Well, now that I have your permission, I’m gonna take good care of you today! It’s time for you to take a good long rest and leave things to me.” And with that, he prepared a spot for Isa to lie down and sleep.

* * *

As Roxas searched for words to continue with, Axel began to speak this time. “Look, Roxas… Why do you think the three of us meet up to have ice cream every day in the same spot?”

“Huh…?” 

“I mean, I have no use in doing that, do I?”

Roxas couldn’t tell where this was going.

“It’s not like I have to go out of my way. If you think about it, it’s troublesome. Just one more chore on the pile, right?”

From that angle, it did seem like a chore. “I guess so.”

“You wanna know why I do?”

Roxas quietly waited for the answer.

“It’s because we are best friends.”

“We are?” Axel had said before that he didn’t have a best friend, Roxas remembered. But now it was him and Xion…? 

“That’s right—get it memorized. We are best friends.” A smile played at the corners of Axel’s mouth. 

Roxas felt a grin come to his face. “Oh yeah… Guess we are.”

“And you know what? Best friends are willing to deal with a bit of trouble.”

Just then, they heard a small laugh. “Hee-hee.” It was Xion, awake—still lying down but laughing. “Thank you… Axel.”

Axel sheepishly scratched the back of his head, seeming a little self-conscious.

“Feeling any better?” asked Roxas.

Xion nodded, brushing off his concern. “I just got a little dizzy. Sorry for worrying you.”

“Man, don’t scare us like that,” Axel complained.

“I’ll try not to.”

“You stay in bed, okay? Take it easy and have a long rest.”

“I will,” she said meekly and smiled at them. “Thank you, you two.”

Roxas and Axel glanced at each other.

_She might have to stay off her feet for a while, but she’s okay._

After they left, Xion picked up one of her seashells and held it up. “Best friends...huh?” She finally woke up, just to pass out again? Why? Because she was a failure? She dreamt the whole time she was out. It was something nostalgic, but what? Why couldn’t she remember? It could have been a key memory from her human life. All she could remember was the sound of waves, gentle, in the distance.

* * *

_Xion definitely said Sora’s name. But how did she know it?_

The wheels of Axel’s mind were spinning as he returned to his room.

_If Xion has any memories—and if, as I suspect, she has something to do with Naminé and Kairi, the Princess of Heart—it wouldn’t be so surprising that she knows who Sora is. But Xion certainly didn’t seem to remember anything when I talked to her that one day. To hear her tell it, she had no memories whatsoever of her past, and there’s no reason to think she would lie to me or Roxas. It might mean, then, that she’s regaining her missing memories. What could they possibly hold?_

_Now that I think about it, Saïx mentioned that Xion came into being in Castle Oblivion. I didn’t find any traces of her origin there. So far anyway. It’s impossible to search every corner of that place. To the best of my knowledge, all that remains of the Organization’s setup there is Vexen’s laboratory._

_And as for what I learned there—it’s that memory is an uncertain thing. Being Nobodies, we’re at the mercy of the memories of our human lives. And in Castle Oblivion, we sought to rearrange a living human’s memories—those of Sora, wielder of the Keyblade. Human memories are terribly fragile, and all those pieces are liable to get mixed up and misplaced. We needed Naminé’s power to link them up in the order the Organization wanted._

_No. There was one exception. The Replica, the puppet Vexen had built in his lab to copy memories. The Replica absorbed memories with no assistance from Naminé, and when he did, he copied strength and ability as well. He even stolen Zexion’s power._

A sudden realization struck Axel so forcefully that he sat up straight.

_What was it Saïx said? Xion was defective… A failure not qualified to be counted among our number…_

Axel had spied on Vexen in Castle Oblivion while he was working on the puppet. He recalled his words that day.

_“The Program is largely on target. No. i, my finest Replica, has proven an even greater success than anticipated. This vessel was judged unfit for number status.”_

A chill went up his spine.

 _No—that can’t be right. I have to find proof_. _This is all speculation. Just my own stupid mind wandering. I need facts. I need the truth about Xion…_

* * *

Axel had barely gotten any sleep when he headed in early to the Grey Area.

_I might as well do my negotiating with Saïx about today’s mission without anyone else to overhear. Apart from the days when something else comes up, I’ve been on the hunt for the impostor for a while—which is to say, Riku. Today’s not likely to be different. Usually, I have the privilege of deciding for myself where I’ll go in search of Riku. My field of activity is unrestricted. And that means I can suggest a direction for the search. I’m about to use that to my advantage._

Before he even reached the lobby, he spotted Saïx. “Hey.”

“…You’re early.” Saïx flicked a glance at him.

“Am I going after Riku again?”

“That is the plan. Are you about to tell me you want to join Roxas on his mission instead?” Saïx continued walking toward the lobby.

Axel kept pace with him. “Nah, this is about Riku. There’s something I want to look into. So I figured I should probably get your permission first.”

“Hmph. I’m sure you’ll look into whatever you want with or without my permission.”

“Well, I just didn’t want to go poking around Vexen’s lab without telling you first.”

Saïx stopped short, his eyes narrowing slightly, and he gave Axel a suspicious look. “And what do you need to investigate there?”

Axel shrugged. “Stuff about Riku, obviously.” _I’m getting better at lying._

“You’ve seen all of Vexen’s reports from Castle Oblivion.”

“Yeah, and I want to know what happened before that. Maybe there’s a lead.”

Saïx stared at him hard. “Fine. You have permission to enter the lab. I’ll have an underling bring you the key.”

“Perfect. Thanks, man. This’ll really help things go faster. Now I can get to work.”

“Somehow, I doubt the scope of your investigation will be confined to work.” Saïx’s mouth curved into the approximate shape of a smile.

“…Guilty as charged,” Axel drawled. “How much do you wanna know?”

“Nothing. Do what you want.”

Taking those words at face value, Axel waved at him and promptly left. He wondered to himself absentmindedly. _Would Saïx have granted permission for something like this to any of the other members? Even now, does Saïx still trust me?_

* * *

The air in Vexen’s lab was stale after months of disuse. Unlike Saïx’s facilities, which consisted mainly of computer banks, this place was piled high with books and sheaves of paper.

“Well, this is daunting,” Axel muttered to himself, although at least the files were all properly labeled with a scientist’s methodical rigor. “Sheesh. Does he have enough papers here? Ever hear of computers? Go paperless, for crying out loud. I guess a researcher is never happy unless he’s written everything down.”

He examined the bookshelf and plucked out a few files, then opened them on the desk, perusing them for any mention of Xion. At some point, he happened upon a file titled “Naminé.”

“Wh-What the—?”

His eyes roved over the text. _What is Naminé? And what is her connection to Xion? What does Castle Oblivion have to do with Xion’s origins?_

The answers were all there for him to read.

_“After countless tests, I have finally completed it. I have turned a puppet into a receptacle for copied abilities—a Replica. Experiment ‘No. i’ is possibly my greatest masterpiece.”_

It was true. Xion really _was_ a Replica.

_I thought I’d never see the word ‘Replica’ again. Any rational man would realize the Riku Replica was not likely unique, but I’m the only one in the Organization who knew of his exceptional copying functionality, and that he ultimately formed a sense of self. The fact that I knew all that and still never noticed the truth about Xion speaks to how remarkable a Replica she must be. But my questions remain unanswered. Who is she a Replica of? Naminé? Kairi? Or perhaps someone entirely different? Why did the Organization admit her into its membership? And why would such a fine Replica fall unconscious or sporadically lose its command of the Keyblade?_

_In any case, now I understand why Saïx hates her so much. For a long time, Xemnas—or rather, Xehanort—has wanted to create a human puppet. Someone who obeys without question or a mind of its own. Saïx was his attempt to create a puppet out of a living breathing human. He does his best to play the role of Xemnas’s loyal obedient little lap dog. But Xehanort’s attempts still failed. So, he moved on to these...dolls._

Axel continued reading and didn’t show up for ice cream that day.


	16. Day 224: Anomaly

Ever since he first read it in Vexen’s lab, Axel couldn’t get his mind off of that report. He constantly pondered it over the past few few weeks, trying to let it all sink in. He thought back to one specific passage again. _  
_

_The Truth About Naminé_

_“Naminé. She_ _is a most unusual being._ _Born of the same process as a Nobody, but lacking virtually all the elements of a Nobody_

 _When a person’s heart is stolen, a Heartless and Nobody are born._ _A Nobody is the soul and body left behind. At times, a person with a strong heart gives rise to a special type of Nobody that maintains its human form and a sense of self. This special Nobody is_ _the same person, in essence, as the original being. The main distinction is that a Nobody lacks the emotional core of a heart._

 _At the same time, a Heartless is the embodiment of the darkness within the heart. A Heartless_ _is born with no sense of self, merely acting on instinct._ _But what if one willingly releases one’s heart from one’s body?_ _Sora and Xehanort retained their selfhood even after becoming Heartless. Remarkably, Xehanort’s Heartless even retained its human appearance.  
_

 _Then there are Kairi and Naminé. Naminé was born when Sora attacked himself with the Keyblade, causing his and Kairi’s hearts to leave their bodies simultaneously._ _Kairi was exceptional for having had no darkness within her heart. Also exceptional was that her heart, once freed, migrated to a new vessel—Sora._ _The combination of the two theoretically unlikely exceptions may be behind the anomaly of her existence._

_It is my belief that Naminé is not truly a Nobody like we of Organization XIII are. Her essence is more similar to a Heartless, particularly Xehanort’s Heartless. The difference being that Kairi had no darkness within her heart to give birth to a Heartless. Therefore, I would classify her as Kairi’s shadow. Kairi may not have had the darkness necessary to create a Heartless. But surely even a Princess of Heart possesses a shadow._

_Indeed shadows are composed of the darkness lurking in our hearts. But shadows are also composed of our subconscious. Thoughts and feelings that we don’t like to admit to, or perhaps are not even aware of.  
  
_ _After Xehanort’s experiments on the young Kairi’s heart, she was spirited away from her tranquil life in Radiant Garden and sent to Destiny Islands where the Keyblade wielder resided. These traumatic memories recessed into the depths of her subconscious, becoming part of her shadow. Naminé_ _then is the embodiment of some suppressed part of Kairi’s heart. This may explain why she continues drawing. She does so in hopes of capturing that which she lacks: the memories of others, especially Sora.”  
_

Axel then thought to the passage about Xion.

_“Whilst the hero of light was journeying throughout the worlds, the organization kept a close eye on his whereabouts. In the world of Neverland, Riku was under the influence of Ansem Seeker of Darkness, otherwise known as Xehanort’s Heartless. He demonstrated a most unusual ability. He was able to extract Sora’s shadow from his heart. This unusual entity was indeed a Replica of the original Sora. It began as a featureless shadow of him, all black. Eventually, this shadow puppet took on more features—yellow eyes and a permanent smile fixed on its face. It was even able to wield a Replica of the Keyblade. This power would serve to benefit the organization greatly._

_Xemnas was able to acquire this Shadow Replica and bring it back to Castle Oblivion. Thus, we embarked upon the Replica Program to ensure our new power stayed ours. After countless tests, I have finally completed it. I have turned a puppet into a receptacle for copied abilities—a Replica. Experiment ‘No. i’ is possibly my greatest masterpiece. Now, our shadow puppet lives. With this Replica, we should be able to duplicate the hero’s powers. If it can continue to absorb the hero’s memories, it will become a full and complete Replica of Sora.”_  
  
 _I always had my doubts about Naminé being a Nobody_ , Axel thought to himself. _I suspected that Xion was probably Kairi’s actual Nobody. But she’s not. She’s a Replica of Sora—a shadow puppet. I...have no idea how to interact with her now._

* * *

Axel decided to get out of bed and head to the lobby. He saw Saïx speaking with Demyx.

"Demyx, I’m sending you with Roxas today. Hopefully he’ll be able to inspire a little of his work ethic in you."

“Hey, even us Nobodies need our rest, right?” Demyx said while lazing about on the couch of the Grey Room. “Exhaustion kills! Right, Axel?”

“Hey, don’t drag me into this...”

Saïx just shook his head.

Then Roxas arrived.

“Hey, Roxas,” Axel greeted him. “I hear it’s you and Demyx today. Gooooood luck with that...” 

“Yo Roxas!” Demyx waved. “I’m gonna need you to work hard out there for the both of us!”

Roxas had a feeling this was going to be a very long day and sighed. “I wonder when our next vacation’s gonna be...”

“I believe you’ve been to Olympus Coliseum. In preparation for future missions, I want both of you to train there today.”

“Ugh. Of course. It just had to be _that_ place again.” Demyx began sulking.

Saïx ignored him and continued to address Roxas. “As a Keyblade wielder, your power is of great use to us. We can’t have you constantly relying on help from others. You have to learn to stand on your own and work independently as soon as possible.”

At that accusation, Roxas replied a little evasively. “Well, Axel said me and Xion are two half-pints who make a whole. So, I thought it wouldn’t be _that_ bad if we stuck together...” He didn’t really need the help or anything. He just liked working with someone else, especially Xion. It made things more fun. 

Saïx didn't seem too pleased with that response and gave him a silent glare.

“That’s great and all, but why do _I_ have to go?” Demyx squawked.

“Because at your current level, I can’t trust you with difficult missions,” Saïx admonished.

“I’m totally okay with that!”

“Idiot.”

Roxas wanted to leave before Saïx went off on the both of them. “C’mon! Let’s go Demyx!”

Saïx watched them leave. After they were both gone, he muttered to himself. “Two half-pints who make a whole? Hmph. How childish.”

* * *

All that could be seen outside the window of Xehanort’s room was an enormous yellow full moon. There was no meteor shower tonight, either. He left his room and headed down the long spiral staircase to the underground basement lab. Even, Braig, and Dilan followed him and they all made their way toward a specific prison cell.

Isa had been previously taken to a new isolated cell and had been locked away alone for quite a long time. Aeleus was ordered to guard his cell and defeat all the Heartless that gathered there. Until recently, they were great in number. But now, they were gone. And not just the ones targeting Isa. All of them. Isa listened carefully to their conversation.

“No Heartless today either?” Xehanort asked. 

“No, sir,” Aeleus responded.

“I see.”

“Ever since that meteor shower, they’ve disappeared entirely,” Even stated matter-of-factly.

“So then, we finally understand what the Heartless _are_?” Aeleus wasn't quite as knowledgeable about them as Xehanort or Even. And if he were being honest with himself, he was interested in the darkness of the heart for more than just scholarly reasons. He wanted to grow more powerful.

“I believe so,” Xehanort replied, glancing down at the reports he had penning under Ansem’s name. “It is my belief that the Heartless are the shadows of those who lost their hearts in the experiments.”

Aeleus raised an eyebrow. “Shadows?”

Even took the opportunity to chime in and demonstrate his academic expertise. “Shadows are composed of our dark, innate primal desires—our shame, our rage, our fears. They are the darker parts of the human subconscious that everyone is said to possess. Feelings that we don’t like to admit to, or perhaps are not even aware of. The Heartless may be these suppressed human thoughts given physical form. In other words, they are the embodiment of the darkness of the human heart.”

Aeleus narrowed his eyes. “In that case, what are the Heartless after?”

This time, Xehanort answered. “The Heartless have been taking hearts. They are born from those who’ve lost their hearts, and thrive on hearts seized from others. That was my hypothesis, and after further study, I am confident that is true. Though they lack emotions, they do seem to have some intelligence.”

“That’s right,” Braig interjected while wagging his finger. “I told Red we weren’t gonna let him see his little pal again and he completely flipped out. That was when massive amounts of Heartless began appearing in front of Blue’s cell.”

With his arms folded, Dilan nodded in agreement, his severe expression unchanging. “You saw the scorch marks in the caverns. The redheaded boy has been desperately fighting to protect the other boy from the Heartless. Even was right. He was the one causing the Heartless to target him.”

“Correct,” Xehanort confirmed, briefly glancing up from his notes. “The Heartless act only to fulfill their instinctive needs. They single-mindedly detect hearts and swarm around them. But the Heartless didn’t target the redheaded boy directly, but the person that was dear to his heart.”

“That which we treasure has power over our hearts,” Dilan said with a hint of disgust. “The Heartless could sense that and acted accordingly.”

“Indeed. They were drawn to the redheaded boy’s darkness and were after his heart. The other boy has captured his heart, therefore the Heartless were targeting him instead.”

Isa hugged his knees closely. _So, that’s the reason the Heartless were targeting me. Lea... I’m so sorry..._

“The Heartless are rather intelligent, wouldn’t you say?” Braig said curiously.

“Yes. They found the door, as well,” Even added.

“Door?” This was the first Aeleus had heard of any door.

“While I was studying the Heartless’ behavior, I picked one out for observation,” Xehanort spoke with all the curiosity of a scientist. “It wiggled its antennae and, as if sensing a target, headed deep into the castle. In the deepest part of the castle, its antennae began vibrating, as if searching for something. Suddenly, a strange door appeared. It had a large keyhole, but didn’t seem to be locked. So I opened the door. What I saw on the other side mystified me. A massive and powerful core of energy. That was the night of the great meteor shower in the sky. It must have been related to the door that I opened.”

“Truly a fascinating discovery,” Even remarked.

“But...why were the Heartless drawn to that door?” Aeleus asked, a bit concerned.

Xehanort’s voice became more passionate. “I believe the heart-seeking Heartless had their sights set on a larger, more powerful heart. And if that is the case, their ultimate goal is crystal-clear. The largest heart in existence—the heart of the world.”

“...The heart of the world?”

“I have devised a hypothesis, based upon my observations of the Heartless. The Heartless feed on other's hearts, and they yearn for that energy core. That thing beyond the door must be a heart, too—the heart of this world. There is no proof, but, having felt that immense energy, I am certain. That was the heart of the world. All living things have hearts, and all hearts hold darkness deep within. If a world is a being, the heart it holds must be colossal...and the darkness at its core must be monstrous indeed.”

“But what do the Heartless mean to do with the heart of the world?” Even curiously stroked his chin.

“That is what I intend to find out,” Xehanort immediately stated. “The Heartless are the key. I plan to make use of the creatures’ instincts. If we follow the Heartless, we have a direct path to the heart of the world.”

Even shook his head slowly. “But after you opened the door, the Heartless disappeared inside of it. They’re all gone now. Every last one.”

“Which is why we need to simply create more.”

Everyone looked at Xehanort when he said that.

“I have built a device that artificially creates Heartless. It is the culmination of all my research thus far. By recreating the conditions that spawn the Heartless naturally, I should be able to produce them artificially.”

“Then...” Aeleus began.

“Come,” Xehanort beckoned. “We must prepare for our journey beyond the Door.”

After that, all the apprentices abruptly left.

Isa was left alone to reflect on everything he had heard. None of what they said really made much sense to him, but he was left with a terrifying sense of dread and unease.

_“Shadows are the lower parts of the human psyche that everyone is said to possess. Feelings that we don’t like to admit to, or perhaps are not even aware of.”_

He had to wonder. Did he have something like that inside of him? A shadow? He did have certain feelings he didn’t like to admit to.

Isa was always different compared to the other boys. He was more emotional and quiet. He had a very hard time coming out of his shell for anyone, but for some reason he could open up so easily to Lea. Whenever Isa would sit off to the side by himself, Lea would come over and talk and pry him open.

Lea was so outgoing and positive. He lit up the room wherever he went. Everyone was drawn to his energy. He made friends everywhere he went. But Lea was the only person Isa felt comfortable with—his only real friend. Over time, Isa grew deeply attached to him, like he had never been with anyone else before. If he were being totally honest, Lea meant everything to him. Isa needed him.

_“From where I stood, the only thing you drew was a big L on your forehead for ‘Loser,’ ‘Lame,’ ‘Laughable’.”_

He could never admit it, least of all to himself. He always teased Lea to hide the way he truly felt.

_“Lea, you don’t have to worry so much about me. I don’t need you to jump in and do everything for me. And I don’t need you to hold my hand and walk me everywhere, either. I’m not a little baby.”_

_That was a lie. A lie to Lea. But more than anything, it was a lie to myself. I do need him. I...always have._

_“Yeah. I always get stuck with the icky jobs.”_

Why? Why did that comment hurt so much? It wasn’t just a simple desire to be independent. It was fear. Fear of his own neediness. He was afraid to admit to himself just how much he needed Lea. Not just for protection, either. His reluctance to rely on Lea in combat was merely a way to avoid dealing with his emotional vulnerability. He wasn’t just frustrated that he failed his mission against the Heartless. Isa was afraid that Lea didn’t need _him_ nearly as much as he needed him. So, he tried to hide his feelings behind a facade of independence and maturity. 

_Lea has such a strong light—he’s like...the Sun. Always unfailingly bright, optimistic, and cheerful._

_I’m...more like the Moon.  
_

_The Moon exists in the darkness. It can’t shine on its own. It’s a mirror that reflects the Sun’s light. Just like me._

_“I told Red we weren’t gonna let him see his little pal again and he completely flipped out. That was when massive amounts of Heartless began appearing in front of Blue’s cell.”_

_“They were drawn to the redheaded boy’s darkness and were after his heart. The other boy has captured his heart, therefore the Heartless were targeting him instead.”_

_He’s always protecting me. But all I ever do is depend on him for everything and cause him trouble..._

* * *

“Heartless duty again today?” Demyx complained as they approached the great gate of Olympus Coliseum. “I keep telling them I’m not cut out for this stuff...”

Roxas ignored his protests. “This time we’re after a specific target. Saïx said it was strong.”

“Yeesh... Is it too late to go home? It’s because I’m partnered up with you I keep getting saddled with these combat missions!”

“Wanna split up the search like last time?”

“Are you crazy!? And risk actually finding that thing? I’m not fighting it alone!”

“Then let’s move out.”

Demyx groaned. “I’m gonna stay out here and, uh...guard the exit, yeah! Nobody's exiting on my watch.” _Except maybe me..._

Roxas said nothing, but entered the Lobby.

Phil was right there to greet him. “I’ve been waitin’ for ya, kid! Today’s the big day, huh?”

“Big day?”

“Don’t worry. I already got you signed up for the Games. Now you just gotta go in there and put all that training to use!”

“But—” Roxas stammered. “All right...” _They’re holding the Games today? Then the only way I can search the Coliseum is by entering._

“Snap out of it, kid! I need you sharp out there. Just remember my sure-fire way to win—two words: Never. Ever. Lose!”

“You entering some kind of contest, Roxas?”

Roxas turned around to see Demyx standing there. “Sort of. These Games are the only way to get inside the Coliseum right now.”

“Ahh, I follow you.”

“I wish you would,” he said a bit sarcastically.

* * *

Roxas battled through round after round, until...

“You’re doin’ great, kid!” Phil cheered. “Win the next match, and the title’s yours!”

“Right.”

“I don’t know much about the guy you’re up against in the finals, but...from the look of him, I’d say he’s been through a few fights. Stay sharp!”

“I will.”

“You’ve come this far! Don’t let anybody else walk outta here with your title! Remember—I’m expectin’ stuff from you, kid!”

“Expecting... You mean you order me to win?”

“Order you?” Phil didn’t get what Roxas meant. “What are you talkin' about? It means I have faith you can win.”

“Faith...”

“Right. Now get out there and knock some heads!”

Roxas walked into the arena with his head down. The first thing he spotted was a pair of black boots beneath an equally black robe—

“Hey there, kiddo,” said a familiar voice.

“Huh!?”

“Looks like you're doing pretty well here.”

“Xigbar!? What are you— Don’t try and tell me you’re a trainee, too?”

“As if! I just dropped in to see how our little wannabe hero is doing. I care about your future, Roxas.”

“Just dropped in? You could have told me you were entering!”

Xigbar summoned his arrowguns. “Try to make it look real, Roxas!”

While the two fought, a gigantic suit of armor dropped from the sky, interrupting the match.

Roxas turned his Keyblade toward the new foe. “Hey... Is that the—”

“Well, well... Looks like our target’s here.”

“Uh-oh... Looks like the finals just got postponed! Hey! Forget about the match! Just find someplace safe while I go get Herc!” Phil hurried out of the arena.

“Well, Roxas? Ready to show me all you’ve learned?” Xigbar took a place in the stands. 

He was rather interested in Roxas for more than just his combat skills. Roxas was quite the anomaly, after all. He was Sora’s Nobody, of course. But Sora’s heart was fused with Ventus’s at the time he became a Heartless. Ventus’s sleeping heart lay dormant inside Sora until the two were separated when Sora turned the Keyblade on himself. Sora was a Heartless who retained his sense of self. Then, Ventus’s newly freed heart migrated inside of Sora’s freshly born Nobody. Roxas had no memory of his past life as Ventus, though.

Roxas wasn’t that different from Xemnas himself, who was created after Xehanort’s heart took over Terra’s body. Xehanort turned his own Keyblade on himself in an attempt to rid himself of Terra. And just like with Roxas, Apprentice Xehanort had no memory of his past life. Of course that all changed. Xemnas now has both Xehanort _and_ Terra’s memories.

Roxas took the Guard Armor was taken out without too much difficulty. “Mission complete.”

Xigbar walked towards him. “Not bad! Our little Roxas is growing up so fast.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“As if! That was a compliment.” He opened a corridor of darkness. “I’ll see you back home.” Then he walked into it.

“Nice work out there, man!”

Roxas whirled around at the other familiar voice. “Demyx! You were here? Why didn’t you come and help?”

“I was, uh...cheering you on! Couldn’t you hear me? Gimme an ‘R’! Gimme an—”

“Are you blind!? That wasn’t part of the Games!”

“Right!? And what a shocker to find out Xigbar was the other finalist!”

“Yeah...”

“What’s up with that... I can’t imagine he was here on a mission. You never can tell what that guy is thinking...”

Roxas suddenly became lost in thought. “Maybe he just wanted an excuse to fight me... To test me.”

“No way, man!” Demyx waved his hands. “I wouldn’t read into it too deep. Besides, the mission’s over, right? All’s well that ends well, man!”

“I...guess so, but...” He couldn’t shake the strange feeling he got.

“Anyway, I’m beat! Let’s call it a day.” 

“What a brilliant performance.”

“Uh-huh.” Demyx whirled around at yet another familiar voice. “Saïx!? What are you doing here!?”

“Xigbar was assigned here to test you,” Saïx said impassively. “He informed me that _you_ didn’t lift a finger. You relied on Roxas to do all the work for you.”

“Oh, crap!”

Saïx glared at Demyx. “Now I will be the one to test you.”

“Oh, no!” Demyx yelped. “He’s gonna go into Berserk mode on me!”

Berserk Mode? This was Roxas’s first time hearing that. He had never even seen Saïx fight before.

Saïx summoned his weapon into his hand. Each of the organization’s weapons and abilities were based on the memories of their human lives. Like the Keyblade, the weapons were choosy about their wielder. Saïx’s weapon was especially unique. A large cursed Claymore. It gave him great power, but at a great price. It brought back memories. Every time he gripped it, the same memories come surging back all at once. The very same memories that caused him to go berserk in the first place. As long as he fought with his Claymore, he remained stuck in that moment. Stagnant and still as ice. All the anguish of that moment, he had to relive over and over again. Using the Claymore, he obtained the ability to concentrate and focus his will into single-minded action. Only because of the Claymore, he could control his berserk state...though just barely.

Saïx was always reluctant to go berserk. It was a last resort. On top of that, he hated fighting, preferring administrative tasks. He only engaged in combat when it was absolutely necessary. Despite all this, going berserk was the only time he ever felt anything.

Demyx quickly summoned his sitar. “Dance, water, dance!”

As Saïx fought him, his mind once again drifted back to the moment he first went berserk. Back then, he didn’t remember a thing once he lost control.

* * *

One day, while Isa was sitting alone in the dark, Aeleus arrived at his cell. Not a word was spoken. He opened the door, took him by the arm and forcefully escorted him up the long spiral staircase. Just above the this staircase was a large round area now dubbed the “Heartless Manufactory”.

Xehanort, who was already there waiting, looked directly at Isa. “Now. It is time for your punishment.” He then turned to Braig. “You are to eliminate the traitor.”

Braig smiled and raised his arrowguns. “Finally some excitement,” he mumbled to himself.

Isa let out an audible gasp. “No!!” 

“What the hell are you talking about!? Isa’s not a ‘traitor’!” Lea shouted from his place at the top of the staircase, overlooking the large platform of the Heartless Manufactory. He was being restrained by Dilan.

“The safety and stability of this peaceful paradise depends on our research here and our study of the Heartless. This boy has repeatedly failed to carry out direct orders from the leader of Radiant Garden. That is an act of defiance and treason.”

Isa was frantic. “I’m sorry! Give me another chance! I’ll do better! I swear! Just please, don’t do this!”

“We’ve given you more than enough chances. We don’t have any more time to waste on something that serves no purpose.”

Isa looked on, completely helpless.

“But ya know, we actually did find a use for you, after all.” Braig smirked viciously. “You’re the perfect bait to help draw the darkness out of your little pal, so we can turn him into a Heartless.”

“Nooo!!”

“You’re the fire that feeds his anger. We’re gonna have so much fun. It’s been a while since I’ve had a new toy to play with.”

“No! Let me go! I won’t let you do this!” Lea struggled and shouted.

“Silence, boy!” Dilan’s immense strength rendered him unable to move.

“Lea!”

“Ah-ah-ah. Your little hero ain’t gonna save you this time, kiddo. He’s gonna watch as you take your last breath.”

Braig warped to a higher level and shot Isa with a few rounds and he fell to the floor.

“Ahhh!”

“Stop!” Lea closed his eyes tightly. He couldn’t bear to watch, but he knew Isa was being attacked. “Stop hurting him, damn it!”

Isa ran as fast as he could around the large round platform.

“Oho! You _better_ start runnin’, little rabbit!”

More shots rang out.

Braig looked down at Isa, who was sprawled out on the floor. “Don’t worry. These are low power rounds. They’re not lethal. I won’t kill you _too_ quickly. After all, we’re gonna need you to give your pal a few more screams first.”

Lea was now crying. He couldn’t muster any rage. He was just...scared. “Please stop....” he whimpered.

Isa was in a lot of pain, but refused to show it. He didn’t make a sound. His breathing was labored, but he just stood up and gave Braig a cold icy stare. 

“Aww, what’s with that angry face?”

Isa said nothing. He just continued to glare with an intense look of total contempt and hatred. He was a very serene and self-possessed person. Never in his life had he felt such rage before. 

“Well, I gotta hand it to ya, Blue. You sure know how to take punishment. Buuut. I know how to dish it out.”

Shots rang out once again.

“Stoooop!” Lea cried hysterically. “Just stop already!” He began struggling frantically, but still couldn’t move.

Isa knew it was the end. He had nowhere to run. He shut his eyes tightly as the tears began to sting. His whole body was trembling. 

_I hate everything. I hate these experiments. I hate the Heartless. I hate the man with the eyepatch. But most of all, I hate myself._ _I’m nothing but a useless burden. All Lea’s ever done is protect me. But now he’s going to be turned into a Heartless. All because of me. It’s all my fault. If I were stronger, I could actually do something to save him. But I’m not. I’m weak. Weak and useless. I can never do a single thing for him. He’d be better off if I just disappeared..._

“Well, kid. Looks like you were able to serve a purpose, after all.” Braig pointed his weapon and aimed the crosshairs directly at Isa’s face. “Bye, now.”

“Noooo!!” Lea’s voice became a loud high-pitched shriek. His worst fear was about to come true right in front of his eyes.

Isa had no recollection of what happened next. He was is in such a state of panic and adrenaline, his mind completely shut down. He wasn’t aware of his surroundings at all. He was acting on pure instinct and reflex. It was as if his consciousness was swallowed by a great darkness.

After he flew into a berserk rage, the device activated. It shot out a laser and a single heart disappeared from one of the many glass containers. A single Heartless manifested on the platform. It was the very first Emblem Heartless. The machine’s test run was a success.

* * *

Saïx dismissed his large Claymore. “I see you have indeed raised your level.”

Roxas rushed over toward Demyx.

“I’ll be fine...” he said weakly. “I think...” Demyx was actually a better fighter than he gave himself credit for. He just hated exerting himself.

Roxas turned his attention to Saïx. “This was a training mission, right!? You didn’t need to go full force on him!”

Saïx showed no reaction. “Hmph. Full force? Don’t make me laugh. I was holding back.”

“Still, you didn’t need to beat him _that_ bad,” Roxas insisted. “He’s a comrade—one of us!”

Saïx looked far away into the distance “Comrade? One of us? Now is a good opportunity to learn, Roxas. We are only organized to fulfill our purpose of completing Kingdom Hearts. Nothing more.” He gave Roxas a sidelong glance. “Anything that gets in the way of that goal—even a member of the organization—deserves no mercy. Don’t forget that.”

Saïx then took his leave through a dark corridor.

* * *

Isa was sitting back in his cell. Braig returned, entered the code, opened the cell door.

“How ya holding up in there, X?”

Isa gave no response.

“Good news. This’ll be the last you’ll see of these walls.”

He took Isa by the hand and led him away to a different location, where his partner-in-crime was waiting.

At his destination, fourteen lit candles circled the entire wall. Two stone gargoyles stood at the sides of the stone altar in the middle. The emblem above the altar was a large heart with a cross going through it. Moonlight streamed in from the window on the ceiling.

There, in the Chapel, Xehanort—a different, younger Xehanort wearing a black robe—was waiting.

Braig placed Isa on top of the stone altar. There, in the pallid moonlight, he cast a shadow over the boy. “So, the experiments on the darkness of the heart were a success, I take it?” he asked his companion-of-sorts.

“Yes,” Young Xehanort nodded as he calmly spoke. “The true goal of these experiments was to control the mind and convince it to renounce its sense of self. After my excursion to the world of toys, I learned that a heart could be placed in a vessel of our choosing. But when the target is unwilling, the mind and the soul must be fragmented first.”

Braig cocked his head to the side. “Fragmented? Sounds pretty bad. Glad I decided to join of my own accord,” he said breezily.

“One of the secrets of the soul.”

“Oh?” He figured it was probably above his level of expertise. The only ones who knew what he meant by that were Xehanort, Even, and Ansem the Wise himself.

But Young Xehanort decided to indulge him with further explanation. “A living being can be tormented into feeling extreme pain. The person will reach their breaking point when they cannot take the pain anymore. At that moment, they will disassociate from their body and reality in order to get relief, and the soul will fracture into pieces, lingering in the Realm Between. When this happens, the ego becomes entirely unaware of itself, to protect itself from experiencing further pain. This leaves a spiritual vacuum which can be filled.” He peered down at the boy on the altar. “Regrettably, only one potential vessel could be procured from these experiments.”

“And a rather unexpected one, at that. Kid’s quite the anomaly. Life’s just full of surprises, I suppose. Still. You sure this one's qualified to be...one of us?” Braig couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of _that_ kid having such a strong heart. Yet, it was also the delicate nature of his heart—his susceptibility to _pain_ —that made him such a perfect vessel.

“A new seed shall be planted,” Young Xehanort commanded.

Orders were orders. Braig took out his arrowguns and pointed the sharp tips at his victim. After the deed was done, there was a large, deep X-shaped gash located over the middle of Isa’s forehead, right over the bridge of his nose, and between his eyes.

“His third eye is now completely closed,” Young Xehanort stated as a matter of fact. This measure would ensure that the new vessel wouldn’t end up like his apprentice self, who constantly struggled against the influence of Terra’s will. Isa’s mind would be completely unable to reject Xehanort’s.

“Third eye, huh?” Braig still seemed as carefree as ever. “Reminds me of that ‘gazing eye’ on the old man’s Keyblade. So, is that how he’s able to see into minds? Haha! Scary!”

“Yet another secret of the soul.” That was all Young Xehanort said as he smiled meaningfully.

Braig smiled, too. “Secrets of the worlds, secrets of the soul, and secrets of Kingdom Hearts.” It was a passage from one of Ansem the Wise’s books.

Young Xehanort looked down at Isa and continued, “Although this subject is weak, the shadow that awakened from within its heart demonstrated great power. It has potential. Without the ability to think for itself, we could control that power and use it for ourselves on the promised day.”

“Hehe. Sure, if you say so.” Braig shrugged nonchalantly.

“This sigil will allow us to know where the new vessel is at all times. It would be a shame to lose something so valuable.”

* * *

Axel climbed up the stairs of the clock tower and saw Roxas was already there. “Hey hey.” Then he noticed Xion. “Oh, Xion, what are you doing here?” He automatically found something else to look at. It made him nervous.

“What, do you want me to leave? Sheesh.” Xion seemed to sense his discomfort.

“C’mon, that’s not what I meant.”

Xion hung her head.

Roxas noticed that something was off, casting a pall over them.

“Hey, Axel…” Xion murmured timidly.

“Yeah?”

“You were at Castle Oblivion, right?”

Whatever Axel had expected her to say, it wasn’t that. _What do you know?_ was on the tip of his tongue, but he only nodded.

“What’s it like there?” she asked.

“Just an Organization research facility,” Axel replied, perfectly honest.

Her expression was dubious.

“Research, huh…? Seems like everyone gets sent there all the time,” Roxas said, trying to help her out. “Especially you, Axel.”

“They never send me or Roxas,” Xion pointed out.

“Probably because they don’t need you there,” Axel said without missing a beat.

Silence fell between them again. The bells chimed.

Taking it as a cue, Xion stood up. “I have to get going.”

“Huh?” said Roxas in dismay.

But then—Xion staggered. She lost her footing and slipped from the clock tower’s ledge.

“Xion!” Roxas lunged for her hand.

A memory. Her first memory. Saïx took her by the hand and brought her out of Castle Oblivion.

_“This is the last you’ll see of these walls… Xion.”_

She remembered what he said to her. And where she was. Castle Oblivion.

Roxas grasped Xion’s hand and held on with all his might, and Axel in turn grabbed hold of him.

“Are you okay?!” cried Roxas.

“I think so…” she squeaked, suspended by only one hand high above the ground. Somehow, they hauled her back onto the ledge.

Roxas had to catch his breath. “Are you sure you’re feeling all right? Maybe you need to rest more.”

“No… It’s nothing like that.” Xion looked away from Roxas’s anxious stare.

Axel was leaning against the ledge, looking into the distance. _  
_

_The organization must have something planned for Xion. That’s why Saïx told me to not get involved. I hope I’m wrong, but there’s this little voice in the back of my mind telling me...that we probably won’t be able to spend much more time together like this. But if we can take a vacation together and laugh about stupid stuff, maybe this nagging doubt will go away. And in any case, Xion is still Xion. She may be a Replica, but she’s also my friend.  
_

“Hey, I know!” Axel blurted out quite loudly. He practically shouted.

“Huh? You know what?” said Roxas.

Axel grinned at them. “Next time we get a day off, let’s go to the beach.”

“The beach? Where did this come from…?” Xion mumbled at her feet.

“Well, don’t you want to go do something together for a change?”

Axel didn’t often propose outings like that. He must have felt the urge to cheer up Xion somehow, Roxas thought, and then he brightened, too. “So it’ll be a vacation with friends?”

“Bingo!” Axel replied in kind. Now he sounded just as cheerful as usual.

“I’d like to join you…if I can make it.” Xion’s voice came out so small.

“Of course you can, Xion!” Roxas told her firmly.

“You’ll have a blast, trust me,” Axel added.

She looked up at them with a hint of a smile. “Okay…sure. Let’s do it.”

As she finally agreed, Roxas and Axel exchanged a glance.

“So for beach snacks…,” Axel thought aloud.

“It’s gotta be pretzels,” Roxas finished.

“Watermelon, too, right?” said Xion.

The three of them looked at one another and laughed in the light of the setting sun, just like always.


	17. Day 255: The Longest Day & 256: News

Xemnas stood in the Altar of Naught, looking up at the great moon. His arms were lifted as if he were praying. 

_The Program approaches completion. Through Roxas, Xion is assembling a copy of the hero of the Keyblade. As proof, she sometimes appears to take on his form to my eyes._

_Naminé must be with Sora, trying to repair his memories. And if Naminé has realized that his memories are being diverted into a third party, she is no doubt influencing Xion, causing her to question herself. And if Xion is being influenced by Naminé, she’ll be led straight to Sora. Then she—or rather,_ it— _can fulfill its true purpose as a Replica and become...complete._

* * *

“Get up.”

“Just five more minutes…” Axel mumbled.

“No. Get up—now.” The voice was distinctly annoyed.

Axel relented and opened his eyes. “What are you even doing in here?”

Saïx was standing next to his bed, as irritated as one might have guessed from his voice.

_I haven’t been this rudely awakened since before turning into a Nobody._

“Xion ran away.”

Axel sat up. “Ran away…?” _No. She_ _deserted Organization XIII. Xion…_ He climbed out of bed and started to freshen up.

“That was a quick reaction. You seem to be wide awake now,” Saïx remarked.

Axel leaned back and stretched. “I’m guessing you’re gonna tell me to go find her.”

“Good guess. Xion is probably heading to Castle Oblivion.”

“…What would that mean?”

“Of the two of us, I imagine you must know Xion better by now. Weren’t you looking into that?”

Axel was stunned into silence. _Guess Saïx wasn’t really fooled by my lying back then._

“What Xion does has no impact on us,” Saïx went on. “But we can’t have it poking around there. You’re to go and destroy the facilities. That is my only order. After that, do what you like.”

Axel nodded and left his room. _Well, this is pretty bad._

_Xion may seem like a normal girl. But I’ve seen what Replicas really are. If she finds out she’s a fake, she might react like the Riku Replica did. The organization can’t afford to lose control of a being that powerful. I’ll probably be ordered to destroy her. I can’t let that happen._

_Don’t do anything stupid, Xion._

* * *

In the Round Room, with Xemnas and Xigbar in attendance, Saïx carried on his report of Xion’s desertion. “I sent Axel to Castle Oblivion on short notice last night to address the matter. I also instructed him to clear out our facilities there. He should be returning soon.”

The question from Xemnas surprised him. “And where is Naminé?”

Why Xemnas would be inquiring about Naminé rather than Xion, Saïx couldn’t fathom, but he had to answer anyway. “Still missing, sir.”

“Ha-ha! Where, oh where she be?” Xigbar snorted with laughter.

“Why, Xigbar, it almost sounds as if you know,” Saïx said. 

Xigbar just stared at him with a taunting smirk. “Hee hee.”

Xigbar’s intentions were even more opaque than Xemnas’s. Saïx didn’t like it one bit and gave him an icy harsh glare.

“Continue the report,” Xemnas prompted him, interrupting the tension.

“I found records of an unauthorized access to our main computer,” said Saïx.

“And you expect us to believe you really don't know who it was? As if.” Xigbar pressed. A nasty smirk twisted his mouth at Saïx’s silence. “Our little Poppet’s turning into a problem. The resemblance is striking, isn’t it?”

Poppet…? Apparently, that meant Xion. But what resemblance was he referring to? Xion was just as much a puppet as ever. Saïx had no time for all these deliberately oblique remarks from Xigbar. “Nonsense. I see no problem whatsoever.”

Xigbar only laughed louder. “Pa-ha-ha! Well, no, apparently you don’t!”

“Something you find amusing?”

“Ah, the things you hear from a guy with no heart,” Xigbar said through his hilarity. 

_None of us have hearts_ , Saïx was about to remind him, when Xemnas spoke again.

“No matter what unfolds, our plans remain unchanged. Axel, Roxas, and Xion will play the roles Kingdom Hearts has chosen for them.”

“But, sir, Xion…” Apparently, Saïx was the only one in Organization XIII who had misgivings about what Xion meant to do. “If we don’t—”

“Leave it be. How can you not see how perfect this is? In truth, this is more than perfect.” said Xemnas.

Saïx averted his eyes, unable to follow.

“Xion is marching right into the arms of destiny, but to destiny’s own time,” Xemnas told him. “We need not take any more steps. All we must do is watch with caution and patience.”

 _What is that supposed to mean?_ Saïx hesitated to draw any conclusions from it at all.

* * *

By the time Axel opened Castle Oblivion’s large front doors, Xion was on her knees.

She turned to face him. “Axel… What are you doing here?”

Looking down at her, he scratched his head uncertainly. “I had orders, that’s all. Nothing to do with you. I don’t know what you thought you’d find in an empty place like this, but there's nothing for you to see here.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Xion cried. “I know this is where I come from! The answers are here.”

Axel shook his head, unruffled by her shouts. “Don't be selfish. You can’t just throw orders to the wind and do whatever you want.” 

“Or else what? They’ll turn me into a Dusk?”

“Worse than that. They’ll skip right to destroying you.” 

Xion looked at the cold white floor. “Because I’m useless?”

“I didn’t say that.” Axel shook his head again and took her arm, pulling her to her feet. “Just go home, Xion.”

This time she shook her head. “I’m remembering things. About who I was as a human.”

“Well, stop remembering. Nothing good will come of it,” he immediately snapped back.

Xion didn’t understand how he could say that. She’d just put all her effort into explaining, and all he did was shoot her down. “I’ve been having dreams every night! You’re in them, too, Axel!”

“Then they sure ain’t memories. How could I be part of your past? They’re just dreams, that’s all. Use your head, Xion.”

“No they aren’t! You can’t fool me!” Xion shouted. “We’ve met before, Axel, right here in this castle!”

She must be remembering what Sora experienced. “No, we haven’t.” Axel put his hands on her shoulders to peer into her eyes. “Xion, just go back. Roxas is gonna be wondering where you are. Don’t keep him waiting.”

“Axel, please—just listen to me! I need to know who I am!” She wriggled away from his patronizing attempts. She had to know. So she ran.

“Xion, don’t! Stay out of there!” He started to chase her, but Xion opened the door at the end of the hall.

And someone was blocking Axel’s path—another young man in a black cloak. Riku. As Xion closed the door, Riku stared steadily at Axel. Or he faced Axel anyway. His eyes were covered by a strip of black fabric.

“…Riku,” Axel muttered, readying his chakrams. It hadn’t quite been a year since Axel had last seen him, and yet, Riku had grown into a completely different person. “Out of my way! I don’t have time for you right now.”

“Let her do what she likes,” said Riku.

“I said get out of my way,” Axel demanded. He summoned his weapons.

“Stop it. I have no intention of fighting you.”

“Oh, you don’t huh? Then maybe you shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of others!” Axel hurled his chakrams.

Riku smoothly dodged. “Like I said, I don’t want to fight.” 

“Then do me a favor and drop dead!” Axel’s chakrams clashed against Soul Eater.

“Hn!” Riku took a hit and his weapon was flung into the air.

Axel swiftly grabbed his arm and pinned him to the floor. “You should learn not to mess with grown-ups.” 

“She’s already decided where she wants to go,” Riku said resolutely. “There’s nothing you can do to stop her.”

Axel had no heart. So why did those words cut life a knife? “What the hell do you know!?” He raised his chakram to Riku’s head, planning to finish him off right then and there.

Riku quickly lifted his blindfold and peeked out. Suddenly a huge blast sprung forth, sending Axel crashing against the wall.

“...Wha—!? Hgck!” Axel groaned in pain. _What happened?_ He stared at the now blindfolded Riku, who was about to leave. “W-Wait! What do you want with Xion?”

Without answering the question, Riku vanished into a dark portal without a trace.

Axel was left tending to his injury. “Wow...That hurts. Damn it.”

* * *

It was just Xemnas and Xigbar in the Round Room now.

“It seems Saïx doesn't truly ‘see’ her,” Xigbar said.

“Indeed,” Xemnas responded. “Xion’s appearance should vary based on the relation of the viewer to her. But Saïx sees her simply as a puppet.”

Xemnas thought back to a conversation he had with his ‘friend’.

_“Aqua, listen. I promise this is me. But I’m not myself.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“You’re using the name ‘Terra’. That means you’re seeing me the way you remember me. But your heart is just painting the picture that it so wants to see. The real me is lost in shadow.”_

_“Then you’re here, trapped in the realm of darkness.”_

_“No. My heart has ties to the dark. That must be why we can talk. But I can’t see anything, Aqua. If you say Ven is there, then he’s like me—an illusion created by your heart.”_

Just like Saïx, Terra could not see anything, either. His heart was lost to the void, the world of absolute nothingness. But Xehanort’s heart was still present in Xemnas, allowing him to see Xion. On the other hand, Saïx no longer had a heart of his own.

“Xion’s appearance is an illusion,” Xemnas said. “What we are seeing is Kairi the way Sora remembers her. Sora’s heart is merely painting the picture he so desperately wishes to see. Saïx has no heart with which to see, because it has returned to the void.”

“Haha! I guess he’s the only one of us who’s truly a Nobody.” Xigbar continued laughing. “Man, oh man! I’m not sure _what_ Axel sees in that guy.”

Xemnas’s expression didn’t change. He almost seemed to have pity in his voice. “Whatever Axel sees in Saïx is merely an illusion. His heart is blinding him to the truth, causing him to only see things the way he remembers them. It’s painting the picture he so desperately wishes to see. No different than Xion.”

* * *

Axel arrived on Destiny Island. He was quite familiar with this world, but it was his first time coming here in person.

“Not here either,” he said quietly to himself. “Xion...where are you?”

_Xion wanted to know who she really was. So, I figured maybe she came here to Destiny Island. But so far there’s been so sign of her._

Axel walked across the upper tier of the wooden boardwalk, overlooking the pier and the boats. Suddenly he heard voices.

“Uh-oh. Locals.” Fortunately, they were down on the beach and didn’t see him.

“It’s finally summer!” Tidus stretched. “Maaan, I can’t wait for summer vacation to start! We’ll get to come out here every day!”

Wakka looked over at Selphie. “So, Kairi said she doesn’t wanna come out to the island at all?”

Selphie shook her head. “Mm-mm.”

Tidus sighed. “She used to come. But all she’d ever do is stand by the shore and stare out at the sunset. I figured she’d have cheered up by now, but she always seems so sad.”

“I hope she feels better soon...”

The three played ball for a bit, then left. It was getting late. Axel approached the pier and sat down, watching the sunset. The horizon began to glow, almost like it was on fire. The way the sun reflected on the sea was so pretty.

_If Xion is supposed to be a Replica of Sora, I wonder why she looks like Naminé. No. Like Kairi. I know the Riku Replica was created when Vexen sampled his memories. And Xion was born in Castle Oblivion. She told me she remembers meeting me there._

_“I’m remembering things. About who I was as a human.”_

_It was Sora’s memories of Kairi that we took from him. His most precious memories. Those of Kairi. Maybe...she absorbed Sora’s memories while he was there._

_“Hey, Axel.”_

_“Hmm?”_

_“You know how you were talking the other day about how we all have pasts? When I sit here watching the sunset with you guys, I get the strangest feeling…like I used to watch the sunset with someone else a long time ago. …I get the same feeling when I look at the sea.”_

_“So you mean that...you have memories of your past?”_

_“No, not quite… Well, I dunno. Maybe it is a memory.”_

_“Hey, don't ask me.”_

_“But you have memories, don’t you?”_

_“Yeah. Not that they’ve ever really done me any good.”_

_Xion told me that she used to watch the sunset with someone else. She was no doubt remembering one of Sora’s most precious memories of Kairi. They used to sit in the same spot I’m sitting now._

_“You know, Riku has changed.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“Well...”_

_“You okay?”_

_“Sora, let’s take the raft and go—just the two of us!”_

_“Huh?”_

_“Hee hee. Just kidding.”_

_“What’s gotten into you? You’re the one that’s changed, Kairi.”_

_“Maybe... You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I’m ready. No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?”_

_“Yeah, of course!”_

_“That’s good... Sora, don’t ever change.”_

_As we get older... there’s a distance that grows between us and our close friends. Riku was growing up so fast. He got bored of doing the same thing every single day. He wanted things to change._

_But Kairi. She was afraid. Afraid of growing up. Afraid of things changing.  
_

_She’s originally from Radiant Garden, too. Xehanort experimented on her and then she wound up here. She lost everything she ever knew, then she met Sora. But now, he’s gone away and left her behind. She must be lonely. All she can do is look out at the sunset and wait for him to return._

Axel stared out at the sea and listened to the sound of the waves. The sun seemed to just linger there in the sky.

_“I just...want these days to last forever. Hanging out, the ice cream, the sunsets...”_

_“Nothing lasts forever, man. Least of all for a bunch of Nobodies. But you know, we’ll still have each other...even if things change and we can’t do this anymore.”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“As long as we keep each other in our thoughts, none of us will ever have to be apart. Got it memorized?”_

_Everything...always changes. Nothing stays the same forever. I knew that. But...I don’t know if I can bring myself to tell Roxas._

* * *

Axel slowly ascended the stairs of the clock tower. The gulls could be heard cawing in the distance.

_I couldn’t find her anywhere._

As he got to the top, he saw Roxas sitting there by himself. He stared at his back for a few seconds. He took a deep breath and put on his mask. He always wore this mask. For Xion and Roxas’s sake. For his own sake. It was the facade of the easygoing, happy-go-lucky guy. Nothing ever fazed this Axel. But...it wasn’t the real him. This Axel was a fake—just a persona he adopted.

“Hey, you’re early.”

Roxas turned with a grin. “No, you’re just late.”

 _This will be the last day everything will be normal between me and Roxas._ Axel smiled, though only faintly, and sat down beside him. The sinking sun drenched them in light.

The sound of the breeze was a little loud. “Today makes two hundred fifty-five…” Roxas murmured.

Chewing on his stick, Axel cocked his head at him. “What’s that about?”

“It’s been that many days since I joined the Organization. Man, time flies.”

“So, you got the number memorized, do you?”

“Yeah. Have to hang on to something, right? It’s not like I have memories from before the Organization. Don’t you remember? I acted like a zombie.” Roxas clasped his hands and looked down at his lap. “I don’t remember anything about my first week, so I wanted to make sure I remembered everything after that.” 

Axel stared deeply at his face as if trying to figure something out. He thought back to Roxas’s first week. 

_“I could’ve done that blindfolded.”_

Out of nowhere, Roxas had given him a very human reaction. It had been completely different from anything else at that point. It was the first time he displayed a sense of self. It gave Axel a strange sensation. It felt so...familiar. But he had never felt that way before. Or at least he couldn’t _remember_ feeling that way before. 

Until now.

Axel was now grinning and he clapped Roxas on the shoulder. “Right, that first week you could barely form a sentence. But come on, you’re still kind of a zombie.”

“Oh, thanks!” Roxas huffed, and they laughed.

Then they fell quiet and watched the sunset.

_That’s right. That’s what I was trying so hard to remember. One of my most precious memories. _That was...the first day we ever watched the sunset together here at this spot.__

_Even though he had no memories at all, in his heart, he still remembered me._

_The sunset here never changes. It’s still the same as it was back then..._

* * *

Lea led Isa back up to the top of the clock tower. He had taken a liking to that spot. It was his own little hideaway. For the last seven days, he had been bringing Isa here with him after work.

“Finally. Ugh. I’m exhausted.” Lea plopped down on the ledge. He spent the entire day doing odd jobs around town to make munny so they could stay in a hotel. He always took Isa with him so he wouldn’t be left alone. But he had no idea what his long term plans were.

Following his lead, Isa silently sat down beside him and stared blankly.

The clock tower’s bells chimed the hour, signifying the end of another day. There were a bunch of kids playing down below. It was summer now.

_I wonder how everything is gonna be from now on. What am I going to do?_

After a few minutes of silence, Lea glanced over at Isa, still as expressionless as ever. 

For the entire day, Isa didn’t respond to anything Lea said and Lea didn’t expect him to. He wasn’t sure if he would ever respond to him again. The very thought usually made his chest tighten with worry. But strangely, today, all he felt was a sense of peace and tranquility.

If anyone else were to look at him, they’d see a broken shell of a person. But when Lea looked at him, he saw Isa, his best friend; the same person he always was. Maybe that was just his heart was painting the picture it so desperately wanted to see. But Lea didn’t care. Even though most of the other test subjects lost their hearts, Isa didn’t. Isa was still Isa deep down. And that was all that mattered.

Lea smiled gently at him. “Don’t worry. I’ll always take care of you. No matter what, I’ll work really, _really_ hard and make enough munny for us both to have everything we need.”

It felt kind of relaxing talking to Isa like this. Lea knew he probably wasn’t aware of what he was saying. But just thinking out loud, voicing his thoughts to another person; it felt nice. He could say whatever he wanted to, without holding anything back.

“Now that I think about it, I guess this what adulthood feels like, huh?”

The sound of sea gulls could be heard cawing in the distance.

“You know what? It’s scary. To tell you the truth, I never wanted to be an adult. When you grow up, things always change. You barely have any time to have fun. You can’t do whatever you want anymore.”

His eyes narrowed as he gazed up at the sky vacantly. It was a bright red tapestry of clouds. The entire city could be seen from this clock tower and it was painted with the same hue. 

“And...worst of all, when people grow up...they grow apart. Everyone usually goes off to live their own lives. You don’t get to spend every day with your friends any more. Eventually...they forget all about each other. It’s... pretty lonely if you ask me.”

Lea grimaced for a moment, then looked over at Isa once again, patting him on the shoulder.

“But it’s all right. ‘Cause I’ll always have you here with me. Right?”

After pouring his heart out, Lea turned toward the sun again and leaned his head back a bit. He could feel its gentle warmth on his face. He couldn’t tear his gaze from it. It was so beautiful. Everything in that moment feel so vivid and full of life because of it. He closed his eyes.

 _If you stare at the sunset, the image sticks on the back of your eyelids, and it feels like you can still see it, even with your eyes shut_. _A phantom sun._

With his eyes shut, Lea made a wish.

_Whether Isa wakes up or not, it doesn’t matter. I just want us to always be together. That’s it. That’s all I want._

Lea opened his eyes and continued absentmindedly talking to Isa—or probably more to himself. He was still gazing out at the sunset. “The sun sure is out late today, huh? I figured it’d be dark by now. Oh yeah, it’s the first day of summer, so I guess that’s why. They say it’s the longest day of the year.”

As Isa sat beside Lea on that midsummer’s night, his consciousness slowly came into focus, like he was waking up from a dream. The haze was being lifted and the dawning light of self-awareness fell upon him. The first thing he saw was the glowing red light of the sunset. It was so bright he squinted under its brilliance. At the same time, he heard someone beside him talking.

“Ya know, I never really noticed it before, but the sunset... It makes everything look red. I wonder why that is. Why the sunset is red...”

“It’s because light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest.”

Lea jolted his head towards the owner of the unexpected voice that just responded to him. He stared at him in disbelief. He didn’t even know what to say. “Y-you just...! How did...?” He couldn’t help but fumble over his words. “Th-that was incredible!”

Seeing his astonishment, Isa looked at him with a boastful grin. He may have been out of his element fighting Heartless, but he was always very confident about his studies. 

At that moment, Lea was speechless. But then he began to chuckle loudly. All the tension he had been feeling melted away instantly. He couldn’t stop laughing as his chest swelled with happiness. He felt like it was about to burst. Soon Isa began to laugh along with him. They both laughed and laughed as it echoed through the station plaza.

 _Isa. That freakin’ know-it-all. It’s just like him to_ _brag like that. He...hasn’t changed a bit. I bet that was part of the summer homework I slacked off on or something._

Lea wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He stuck his hand in his pocket, dug out a little bit of the munny he had earned, and counted it. 400 munny.

“All right, smart aleck. That was pretty impressive. For that, you deserve a little something extra. Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Isa watched as Lea raced down the stairs and darted off in the direction of the Tram Common. A few minutes later, he returned from the Sweets Shop with two sea-salt ice creams in hand. He handed one to Isa.

“Here ya go. Your reward. You _definitely_ earned it.”

Isa looked at the ice cream for a few moments. It seemed like he had never seen one before. He slowly took a bite out of it. Then he turned his head and looked directly into Lea’s eyes, wearing a soft warm smile. “Thank you.”

Seeing that smile again after so long, it felt like nothing else in the world mattered. Lea knew without a doubt that he would never forget this day.

_I feel so happy right now. Yeah... Everything is okay. I can handle anything, as long as we’re together._

While Isa was slowly eating his ice cream, Lea looked over at the profile of his face. He was gazing at the sunset, his features enveloped in a warm crimson glow. It almost looked as though he had a red aura. Everything in that moment looked so beautiful.

_I wish this moment could last forever..._

* * *

_“Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they’re out of reach.”_

_This past year, I’ve remembered a lot of things while talking to Roxas. A lot of precious memories. But I could never share them. Ever since I went to Castle Oblivion last time, I knew there was something I was supposed to remember. I couldn’t remember it, and I couldn’t remember_ why _I couldn’t remember it. Well today, I finally remembered it. I think it’s all right to share this precious memory with Roxas._

Axel gazed out at the sunset and smiled. “Hey, Roxas…”

“Hmm?”

Axel’s face was limned with the sunset’s glow, his red hair shining crimson. “Bet you don’t know why the sun sets red.” He eyed Roxas mischievously. “You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest.” He finished with a boastful grin.

“Like I asked! Know-it-all,” Roxas retorted, and Axel let out a low laugh. He wasn’t quite himself today, though Roxas couldn’t have said exactly what had changed about him. Still, it wasn’t a bad thing. Roxas laughed, too.

Some time passed and Axel found himself reclining backwards, resting his head on his hands. _I can’t believe I forgot about that day._

“Seriously, where is she?” Roxas thought aloud.

Just like that, Axel was snapped back from his nostalgia into the grim reality of the present. Roxas couldn’t see his expression darken.

 _Xion is never coming back. She remembered who she used to be. She has a new purpose now... there’s no going back..._ _I can’t bring myself to tell him that things will never be the same again. Roxas is going to feel the same pain I felt. The last time I sat here and watched the sunset all those years ago with Isa..._

_Isa’s purpose was being needed by me. All he ever wanted was to help me. He was never that good at fighting. There wasn’t much he thought he could do. He overexerted himself to the point of exhaustion, for my sake.  
_

_In time, he awakened to a new purpose. He realized he could become stronger. That was when he changed. It all happened the day Xemnas gave us our new names.  
_

Axel recalled how Xemnas summoned the large ‘X’ and put it into their names. He wasn’t sure why he did that or what it meant. He just knew that it marked the end of their old lives.

_That was the day all his memories returned. And now...he’s a totally different person. I’m sure he doesn’t think about any of these memories like I do. He’s grown apart from me._

He sat upwards and turned away from Roxas so he couldn’t see his face. “Roxas… I’m not sure she’s gonna show today.”

Roxas shifted his head. “Did she collapse again?” 

“…Oh, didn’t you hear?” said Axel. “She got sent on a really important mission. Pretty cool, huh?”

The way he said it didn’t quite sound natural. Like maybe he was trying to keep Roxas from worrying. “Oh…” Roxas sighed. “So when’s she coming back?”

“Well, I guess that depends on how well she does her job, right?”

“Fair enough…” Roxas looked out at the red sky and bit into his ice cream. “I hope we get a day off soon…so the three of us can go to the beach.” 

The last rays of the sun cast him in their brilliant red hues.

* * *

It was the 256th day.

How many days had it been since he was last summoned to the Round Room?

Axel sat in his usual seat, waiting for Xemnas’s arrival. His arms were folded sullenly and he couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with Roxas. 

The air trembled, and Xemnas appeared. “Xion is gone.”

Roxas stared at him in shock. The other members of the Organization looked startled as well.

“What?! Whoa, whoa, time out…” Demyx hunched his shoulders. “You mean she, like, flew the coop?”

“Preposterous,” said Xaldin. “What would drive her to choose her own demise?”

Xemnas interrupted them. “No one is to go looking for Xion.”

“What do you mean!?” Roxas was immediately on the defensive.

Xemnas briefly glanced at him but offered no answers.

Saïx spoke instead. “It simply means that it’s best left alone. Is there something you find dissatisfying?”

“Shouldn’t someone go and bring her back?!” Roxas shouted.

Those words. Bring her back. Axel felt a sharp sensation burning in his chest.

The answer from Saïx was but one cold line. “Why bring it back?”

Roxas didn’t know how to answer that cold, flat question. He just wanted things to stay the way they were. But Saïx wouldn’t understand that.

As Roxas hesitated, Xemnas turned to him slowly, almost admonishing. “All will be revealed when the time comes.”

Axel finally stopped sulking with his arms crossed and looked up. “Which means, if the time doesn’t come, things can stay as they are.”

Saïx glared at him, then stared at some imaginary point on the floor. “Lord Xemnas has spoken. Obey or face your end.”

After Saïx’s warning on his behalf, Xemnas vanished from the room. The others followed suit. Soon, only Roxas and Axel remained.

“Axel…?”

“Time to get to work. I’m heading off now.” He quickly disappeared into a dark portal.

* * *

_I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t even look at Roxas._

He left of his mission as soon as possible to avoid dealing with it all. Today he was simply ordered to find Riku again. Wherever he was, Xion was sure to be there, too. But so far, he’d had no luck. Maybe they were right under his nose.

_Xion might still have doubts about everything, so maybe she’s still here in Twilight Town somewhere. Plus, it’s the last place anyone would think to look._

He searched everywhere, but no Xion or Riku.

_I had better talk to Roxas. I can’t just leave him hanging forever.  
_

He sighed deeply as he passed the Sweets Shop, heading in the direction of the station plaza. In front of him he saw three kids. He’d seen them out and about plenty of times before.

“Ah. This must be what they mean about simple pleasures,” Pence said as he happily bit into his bar. “You know, hanging out with friends, munching on ice cream.”

“Oh, come on, Pence—you’re happy any time you’re eating,” Hayner butted in.

“Hey!”

Olette giggled. “He is right, though. It’s nice to just hang out and eat ice cream.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Hayner sounded a bit dissatisfied. “But I wanna do something fun this summer vacation.”

“Hayner, it hasn’t even started yet,” Olette reminded him.

“I know that! But I’m bored of doing the same thing every day. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to sit and do nothing once we’re adults. But we’re kids! We need to do something fun!”

Pence and Olette exchanged a glance.

“Hey, there’s that Struggle tournament coming up,” Olette suggested.

“Now you’re speakin’ my language!”

“You’ll have to take on Seifer,” she reminded him.

“Hah! Lemme at him.”

“But the tournament isn't until the _end_ of summer, Olette.”

“Wha—?” Hayner’s joy deflated at Pence’s words. “Sheesh! There’s gotta be _something_ fun we can do before that.”

“Like what?”

“Oh! Oh! How about the beach!?”

“Can’t. No munny.” Pence shut him down quickly. “But at least we have this beach flavored ice cream. It tastes the same as the sea.” He took another bite.

“Gimme a break, Pence! That is _so_ not the same! We’re just gonna have to take on part time jobs.”

They all laughed as they walked away.

Axel walked quietly up the stairs of the station tower. When he got to the top, he saw Roxas waiting, staring out at the sunset. He stopped dead in his tracks. He simply watched Roxas for a few minutes from behind the corner.

“Axel could’ve shown up at least,” Roxas muttered to himself.

_I just can’t do it. I can’t face Roxas._

He never did sit down. He just stood there with his arms folded, lost in thought.

* * *

Ever since he delved into the depths of Xehanort's heart, Ansem had a bad feeling and put a stop to his research. Then, Kairi disappeared and the meteor shower happened. Ansem had a sinking feeling that his apprentices hadn't left things alone, after all.

So, one night, he decided to take a look at the underground lab. And what he found there horrified him. Unbeknownst to him, his six apprentices had collected a large number of subjects on which to perform dangerous experiments into the darkness of the heart. As soon as he found out, he called his apprentices together and ordered them not only to cease their studies immediately, but to destroy the results of the research they had compiled thus far.

On top of that, he also ordered the release of all the remaining subjects. However, there was one particular prisoner who caught his attention. A young boy with blue hair and a large “X” carved onto his face. This subject exhibited signs of profound amnesia and all conversations with him were less than lucid. Outraged, Ansem picked him up and carried him away. He was in no condition to be released. Not before he could find a way to help him.

“Where is Subject X now?” Xehanort asked Braig who was standing beside him.

“Gone.”

“I see. ‘Wise’ Master Ansem must have hidden him away somewhere.”

Braig approached Lea’s cell and spoke loudly. “Rise and shine, Red!”

Lea opened his eyes at the rude awakening. He hadn’t been ordered to do anything ever since the experiment at the Heartless Manufactory. He didn’t sleep during the long nights. But he was only human. At some point, he must have fallen asleep without realizing. 

“Well, kiddo, today’s your lucky day. All prisoners are to be released.”

“Huh?” It took several seconds for Braig’s words to compute.

“The experiments are officially over. As of today, all prisoners are free to go now wherever they want.” It appeared that he was serious.

“What? ...Free...to go?” Lea could barely string a sentence together, which seemed to amuse Braig.

“Yep.” Braig was grinning ear to ear.

His casual demeanor annoyed Lea. “So after everything, you’re just gonna release us now? Why?” 

“Got no choice. Orders are orders.”

Lea had no idea what he was talking about, but now wasn’t exactly the time to argue. If all prisoners were being set free, then that meant Isa would be set free, too. He wasn’t about to push his luck. This whole ordeal was actually over. Now he could go home. Things could finally go back to normal again.

He was marched outside the doors of the castle. His eyes squinted in response to the sunlight. It was his first time outside in so long. But where was Isa?

* * *

Seven days passed.

Lea went to the little ice cream stand in the Marketplace and waited. He was hoping that maybe, just maybe, today would finally be the day. But as expected, Isa didn't show. He never did.

Had he turned into a Heartless? Lea didn’t know. All he knew was that everything felt empty. Like the entire world around him was covered in an ash-colored haze.

_Free, huh? No, I’m not._

As he did every day, he waited until it was almost sunset, dug into his nearly empty pocket, and handed the munny to the Moogle shopkeeper.

“One sea-salt ice cream.”

“Here ya go, kupo! Are you okay? You seem sad.”

“Nah...It’s nothing.”

He stood on the side of the shop and looked at his hand. The melted ice cream made it all sticky. If he’d gone back home, he’d probably be back in school right now. Back in his uniform. Everything would be back to normal. Back to the way it used to be. For the first time in his life, he actually yearned for that simple boring life. But not without Isa. Lea never went home. Every day, he chose to stay there by the ice cream shop in his black robe. He couldn’t bring himself to take it off. He sat in the same spot. Nobody really paid much attention to him there.

Until one day.

On the seventh day, someone unfamiliar was passing by. It was a large yellow dog with a green collar. “Arf!” It approached Lea, wagging its tail.

“Huh?” Lea shooed it away and continued sulking. “Look, I’m not in the mood to play with you. Sorry.” 

The dog looked up at him. It almost looked sad, as if it could tell that he was in pain. The dog whimpered and brushed its head against his lap.

Lea stared at it for a minute. Then he gave the dog—whose name was Pluto—a good hug and pressed his cheek against his fur. For some reason, holding this dog close made it seem like everything would be okay. “Thanks, buddy.”

Pluto woofed once more, then darted off in the direction of the castle, where his owner was headed.


	18. Day 276: Disorder & 277: Searching

In the Round Room sat the usual three—Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saïx.

“While Xion is gone, we must further reinforce Roxas’s memories,” said Xemnas.

“Preparations are already complete, sir,” Saïx replied.

Xigbar snorted at him. “Hey, how do _you_ see Xion?”

“I don’t understand what you’re asking.” The words were evasive, but as long as the intent behind them was clear, that was enough, in Saïx’s opinion.

Xigbar only smirked and turned to Xemnas. “That works fine for me. What about you?”

Xemnas stared back.

“Just wondering if you ever see our Poppet like I do,” Xigbar said with a shrug. “Don’t you and me sometimes see eye to eye, as they say?”

Xemnas’s answer was a burst of laughter.

Saïx wasn’t sure if that meant yes or no.

“Watch Roxas. Don’t take your eyes off him.” With that, Xemnas vanished.

“Yeah, do your best now,” Xigbar remarked to Saïx before disappearing.

But what had Xigbar meant before…?

* * *

_We’re watching the sunset together, all three of us. We promised to go to the beach._   
_Now we’re here._

_Xion watched the sun sink toward the horizon. Roxas and Axel were beside her. The soft rush of_ _the waves filled the air._

_“Is it true that I’m not supposed to exist?” she asked quietly._

_“Well, what do_ you _want to do, Xion?” said Axel._

 _She thought for a moment. Now that someone was asking, she could see the answer for the first_ _time. “I want…I want to be with you two.”_

_“Then come back with us,” said Roxas._

_“I can’t… Not the way I am now. But…what would it take for me to be like you?”_

_Axel and Roxas had no reply. They only watched the sunset._

Axel woke up from his strange dream. However, he couldn’t remember what it was about. It must have just been his anxiety over Xion. He got up, fixed himself up as usual and left on his mission.

* * *

Today his search took him to Hollow Bastion.

In the center of the town was a small research facility where Ansem and his apprentices carried out their many experiments. After Ansem ceased his research into the darkness of the heart, the apprentices conducted their studies in an enormous laboratory in the basement of the castle. However, Xemnas still used the old research facility.

Axel entered the Garden of Assemblage. This room was where data on all the members of Organization XIII was kept. Xion might have come here looking for answers. But it didn’t appear anyone had accessed the computer recently.

_No sign of Xion anywhere in this world. I figured since this world is in Sora’s memories, it might be in Xion’s memories, too._

Axel looked up at the castle in the distance and the waterfalls gushing above him.

_“No vessel, no help from the Heartless… So tell me, how’d you get here?”_

_“I simply believed. Nothing more to it. When our world fell into darkness, Belle was taken from me. I vowed I would find her again no matter the cost. I believed I would find her. I will have her back!”_

Axel remembered from his time in Castle Oblivion that Sora had been here in Hollow Bastion back when he was looking for Kairi and fought with a toy sword.

_“Why…did you come here? I came to fight for Belle. And though I am on my own, I will fight. I won’t leave without her.”  
  
“Me, too. I’m not gonna give up now. I came here to find someone very important to me…”_

_The way Roxas sees Xion is no doubt influenced by the way Sora sees Kairi. So, I’m sure Roxas desperately wants to find her._

Axel sighed and began walking away.

_I wonder how the Beast was able to get to Hollow Bastion, anyways. Only beings like us Nobodies can create corridors of darkness. Riku is an exception because he has Xehanort’s Heartless inside of him. But the Beast is just a normal person. Maybe he was like me. Maybe it was the darkness in his heart that gave him that power._

* * *

_I should resign myself to it soon._

Staring absently at the setting sun, Axel bit into his ice cream.

_What do I want to do? And what am I supposed to do?_

_“Um, Axel…What am I supposed to do during vacation?”_

_“Supposed to do? What kind of question is that?”_

_“But…I really don’t know.”_

_“You just do what you want.”_

_Seems like I’ve been thinking about nothing else for ages._

A replica, a manufactured puppet…and a Nobody, a being that shouldn’t exist. Axel heaved a sigh.

_I wonder if there’s really much of a difference. Nobodies have no hearts. What we have is self-awareness, a sentience guided by memory. But I’ve come to wonder lately—if memory directs all our actions, is that really limited to the memories from our human lives? Wouldn’t we be swayed by memories of yesterday—even minutes ago? Memories from when we were human are just more vivid._

_What should I do? What do I want to do? I’m not sure that bringing Xion back to the Organization would be the best thing for her. Though of course, the answer to that is something I’d decide while eating ice cream here._

_And here comes proof positive._

“Hey...It’s been a while.” Roxas sounded surprised to see him.

Axel turned with a grin. “You think so?” _Roxas doesn’t have a smile in him. I shouldn’t have expected one._

Roxas sat down beside Axel as usual. “So...I went to the beach for my mission today,” he said, pausing for a bit. “And there was this girl who looked kind of like Xion…”But I couldn’t get close enough to tell for sure. I probably imagined it. To be honest, I’m not even sure today’s mission really happened. Feels like I just woke up from a dream or something.”

Axel peered at him. There was something hazy about his eyes. _Apparently, Xion’s disappearance has deeply affected Roxas._

He kept rambling without looking at Axel. “You know how we promised each other we’d all go to the beach?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Maybe that’s why. Maybe I saw Xion there because I wanted her to be there.” Roxas looked toward the sinking sun.

 _I do have to make up my mind, huh?_ Axel hesitated a moment before dragging himself to his feet. He looked away agonizingly and heaved a deep sigh, though Roxas didn’t notice. He steeled himself, then put on a smile for Roxas. “You wanna go look for her?”

“Huh?” Roxas finally looked at him. “But Xemnas said—”

Axel was still grinning. “Forget him. Starting tomorrow, let’s use our spare time between work and coming here to try and find Xion.”

Roxas smiled and stood up beside him. “Mm-hmm.”

 _Maybe we will get to go to the beach together one day_. Roxas’s smile had ignited hope in Axel’s mind, and he rejected the doubts that followed. Instead, he chose to watch the sunset.

“Sounds good. Let’s do that.”

As Roxas looked into the distance with renewed hope, Axel looked away. He felt a bit guilty.

* * *

Lea stared vacantly at the sun sinking into the sea. He sat himself down on a piece of driftwood, resting his elbows on his knees, and watched the waves rush in and out.

The experiments were officially over, he was released, and was now free. But Isa wasn’t. He was gone.

_I’m never gonna see Isa again, am I? He’s gone forever...isn't he? I just have to accept it, don’t I?_

“What do I do now…?” He stretched carefully and got up again, his eyes narrowed against the setting sun. It turned the sea red, and the sky. The waves lapped at his feet, getting them wet. 

The last seven days rolled by, and Lea still didn’t know what to do. Isa had been missing for a week. The haze never lifted. The only thing he could do was count the days—and at the end of each day, he could barely recall anything from it. He felt so detached. His thoughts ran in circles, and his nights were restless with dreaming. There was something wrong with him. But what?

He knew the answer. Isa was gone. Without him, he was lost and stuck in the doldrums. He had such vivid dreams that the lines between dreams and reality were starting to blur. Sometimes he got the feeling that maybe everything was just a dream. Did he feel spacey all the time because he didn’t sleep well? Or was he not sleeping well because he spent all day vacantly going through the motions? He was so tired. No, not tired exactly—more like there was a thick fog over his mind. Like he was stuck in a hazy twilight.

The never-ending sound of the waves was beginning to grate on him. He was afraid he was starting to lose it.

_No..._

The aching of the sadness and regret in his heart was too much to bear. If the experiments were meant to awaken the darkness in one’s heart, they had succeeded. He felt sadness, regret, loneliness, anger, and hatred.

_I’m tired of this. Waiting around isn’t gonna get me anywhere. If I don’t get up and actually do something, nothing’s gonna change._

Lea stood up from the piece of driftwood.

_He’s not gone. I know he’s still out there. Somewhere. I believe that._

He looked out at the sea. He wanted to come to the beach with Isa so badly.

“I’m going to find you and get you back! No matter how many times you’re taken away from me, I’ll bring you back! I promised you that!” It was a plea, a cry, a bitter lament, and a vow.

Suddenly, a dark portal opened up before him on the sand. 

“Whoa!” _What the hell is this? Where did it come from?_

The dark portal lingered, as if waiting for a response from him. For some reason, he felt entranced by this strange portal. He stared inside the blackness.

A crooked grin suddenly formed on Lea’s face. 

_I’m not afraid of the darkness. This is MY_ _power. I just believed I’d find Isa, then boom. It know it will lead me right to him._

“If you have a dream, you don’t wait. You act. One of life’s little rules.”

With a calm heart, Lea took a step inside. He walked through the dark tunnel, following the tiny pinpoint of light in the distance.

_Isa... I’ll find you._

* * *

The next day they gave Axel the same mission again: Hunt down the impostor, Riku.

_I’ve been on this for a while now. I keep expecting them to tack on the objective of searching for Xion, but fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Saïx gave me no such order._

Axel looked out over Neverland’s ocean and leaned back, stretching. He remembered his earlier trip here with Roxas.

_“And she’s the one who helped me fly,” Roxas realized._

_“Did she now?”_

_“It’s true!” Roxas turned to speak to Tinker Bell. “Can you help me show him? Give us some of that glowing stuff?”_

_Tinker Bell seemed to consider it for a few seconds, then flew in close spirals around Roxas and Axel. The bright dust settled over them. And Roxas floated into the air._

_“What?!” Axel blurted._

_“Told ya!” Roxas shot up high, looking down on Axel._

_“How are you doing that?”_

_“I can’t really explain it… But once she sprinkles this glowing dust on you, you just think, I can fly! and boom, you’re flying.”_

_“I can fly and boom?” Axel said dubiously._

_“Yup!” Roxas made a loop the loop. “Just give it a try.”_

_“Well, okay…” Axel concentrated, a frown deepening on his brow._

_“What’s up, Axel?”_

_He shrugged. “I’m not feeling it.”_

_“Aw, give it another try. Believe me on this!”_

_“All right… I believe you.”_

_Axel closed his eyes. And then he felt himself rise off the ground. “I…I can fly?”_

_“Yup. You can fly!”_

_I wish I could fly. That would certainly have made searching this world easier. But in any case, I couldn’t sense any trace of Riku or Xion here, either. What does the Organization intend to do about Xion? Are they going to let her wander freely until she leads them to the Keyblade master? Or…do they actually know where she is? But if they did, they wouldn’t have me looking for Riku._

He hadn’t breathed a word to Saïx that Xion was probably with Riku. But he couldn’t have said why he was keeping his suspicions to himself.

 _But that allowed me to suggest looking for her with Roxas. It’s a choice, a resolution, and also…what? Friendship?_ Axel made a wry grimace at the word. His doubts still remained. _I’m worrying over what is the best thing to do. Will I find the answer someday?_

“Oh! Hey, not every day you see a grown-up here.” Axel looked up to see a boy in green floating above. He was accompanied by the small fairy girl, Tinker Bell.

Tinker Bell fluttered around. She seemed to say something to the green-clad boy.

“Yeah, you’re right. He does seem different than other grown-ups. If he could actually fly, that’s proof!”

“Whaddaya mean?” Axel asked curiously.

“Don’t you know? This is Neverland. The place where kids come so they never have to grow up. We can stay here and do whatever we want!”

_Never have to grow up..._

“I don’t like grown-ups much. They’re always tellin’ fibs.”

Axel looked away.

“Greedy, too! Just look at Hook! All he cares about is gold! All grown-ups are like that.”

Tinker Bell folded her arms and nodded.

“And grown-ups always forget about me. Just when I think I’ve made a new friend, they wanna leave and grow up.”

Tinker Bell hovered by Peter Pan making a lot of noise. It seemed like she _really_ agreed with this point.

“Yeah, exactly,” Peter responded. “Just look at Wendy. She went back home to London. Sure, she _told_ me she’d never forget me. But when she tries to remember me, the memories will be gone. She’ll forget—little by little, one memory at a time. First she’ll forget what it feels like to be young, and then she’ll forget about me. Once she’s grown up, there won’t be a single memory of me left. We’ll never see each other again.”

_“I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.”_

_“I know I won’t forget you. Believe me, I try all the time.”_

_“See, I’m immortal!”_

Axel couldn’t help but remember his conversation with Isa. It was one of his most precious memories. But he’d completely forgotten about it along with many other memories. This conversation was hitting a little too close to home. He could barely even look at Peter Pan.

“Well, mister, we gotta go! Don’t wanna keep the Lost Boys waiting! We’ve got some treasure to hunt! See ya!” With that, Peter Pan left. As the fairy was following him, some of her dust sprinkled on to Axel.

He tried for a bit, but he still couldn’t fly. Not without Roxas. It was thanks to him that Axel was able to let loose and believe that day. It was so much fun.

_“I just…want these days to last forever. Hanging out, the ice cream, the sunsets…”_

_“Well, nothing lasts forever. Least of all for a bunch of Nobodies. But, you know, hanging out every day isn’t the only thing that matters. We’ll still have one another, even if that changes and we can’t meet up here.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yeah. As long as we keep each other in our thoughts, none of us will ever have to be apart. Got it memorized?”_

_“Wow, that was so not you.”_

_Maybe it wasn’t like me to say that. But still. We can’t be together forever. That’s what growing up’s all about. I can’t stay in Neverland forever and do whatever I want. I need to grow up and stop wishing for the impossible._

He placed a hand over his face, where one of his tear marks were. Was it really possible that he was starting to outgrow them?

He was left alone, staring out at the sea.

* * *

Lea woke up he was lying on the ground in a place he had never seen before.

“Ugh. Where...am I?”

He looked around and noticed a large clock tower. The tower’s bell chimed, and the sound of a train speeding away could be heard in the distance. 

Lea wandered the Tram Common of Twilight Town, an entirely new world. It was so different from his home world, but it had a similarly serene atmosphere. Yet he had no time to marvel at the new scenery. He had important business here.

_This place. It’s another world, isn’t it? I wonder if Isa is really here._

He wandered around until he passed by the slightly crowded shopping district. He saw a few small children walk past the Sweets Shop with a familiar treat in hand—blue bars of sea-salt ice cream.

_Even here, they sell that ice cream!? What does this mean? Maybe someone from Radiant Garden really came here, after all..._

Lea spent time walking through the town, asking the shopkeepers for any clues to aid him in his search. But he wasn't having much luck. When he made his way to the Sandlot, he noticed a group of kids playing ball and decided to ask them.

_Maybe if I ask kids close to my own age..._

“Hey, can I ask you guys something?”

“What’s up?” asked a young girl.

“I’m looking for my friend. Have you seen a kid my age? He’s got blue hair and he’d be wearing a blue jacket.”

The kids all looked at each other. “No, I haven’t seen anyone like that.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound like anyone in our class. Sorry.”

Lea sighed to himself. “Well, have you seen anything, I dunno, suspicious around here lately?”

“Suspicious?” They all stared at each other again. “Oh, are you talking about the Seven Wonders of Twilight Town?”

“Uh, yeah.” _I guess?_ “Can you tell me about ‘em?”

* * *

Lea figured he might as well investigate these Seven Wonders, since he had no other leads to go off. But he had no luck. Just a bunch of rumors spread by children. So he decided to take the stairway up to the top of the station. The ‘Keep Out’ sign indicated that he wasn’t supposed to go up there, but he figured it would give him a better view of the town. He stretched and yawned when the clock tower bells rang.

Then the sun began to set.

_These Seven Wonders were really not very helpful. Of course, what did I expect from a bunch of rumors spread by kids in a sleepy little town like this? This is probably hopeless._

Lea was starting to give up. But...there _was_ one more wonder to investigate.

The Seventh Wonder was an abandoned mansion deep in the woods. To get to the mansion, the local kids recommended a shortcut through the sewers.

_Ugh. This is frickin’ disgusting. I swear, I simply cannot catch a break lately, can I?_

He waded through the trash until finally, he resurfaced in the woods. After walking for a few minutes he found what he was looking for: a large mansion said to be frequented by strange visitors. The mansion's window was broken. In front of it, lying on the ground was—

“Are you all right!? Isa! Wake up!” 

The first thing he noticed was the giant X-shaped scar covering almost all of his face. He gently touched Isa’s face with the tips of his fingers. Intense anger welled up inside of him. _Isa. What did they do to you?_

“Are you okay!?” But he didn’t get a response. “Hey, c’mon, say something.” He began to shake him. “Please...”

Nothing. Isa was completely still and expressionless, like a zombie. 

Lea felt a lump in his throat. He hung his head and his shoulders began to tremble.It all felt hopeless. Like there was nothing left to believe in anymore.


	19. Day 297: Contact & Day 298: Fracture

Axel flopped over in his bed and stared at the ceiling.

_There’s still some time before I have to head to the Grey Area._

_I lied to Roxas yesterday. Although it wasn’t the first time. A single white lie led to another, and even when I tell the truth, I’m trapped in the web of lies. Was it really necessary to tell Roxas about Xion’s origins in Castle Oblivion? I’m regretting it now._

_But I didn’t WANT to lie to Roxas. That feeling was real, too. Almost like I had a heart… I’m still lying—well, lying by omission. I can’t tell Roxas the whole truth about Xion now. Actually, I’m pretty sure I should never tell him._

_I’m clinging to the faint hope that keeping the truth to myself will allow both Roxas and Xion to keep existing—_ the thought made Axel smile bitterly. _Allow them to exist. Ha. Nobodies aren’t even supposed to exist in the first place. It’s right there in the name—nobody, nonexistent. So why do I keep thinking about it?_

 _Xion, Castle Oblivion…and Riku. That castle is a very peculiar place. If I go there with Roxas, I might discover_ _something._

Axel clambered out of bed.

_Nothing will change if I don’t make some kind of move._

_If I’ve told one lie, then after that, no matter how many lies I tell, it’s the same. If I'm going to bring Roxas to Castle Oblivion, a reason will help. Like a fierce enemy appearing there. An enemy like the Organization impostor. Like Riku._

* * *

By the time Roxas stepped into the lobby, Axel and Saïx were deep in discussion.

Roxas stopped short when he overheard Saïx. “The impostor has been sighted again?”

“The impostor?” Roxas started. “You mean—”

“He’s prowling about Castle Oblivion as we speak.”

“I’ll go.” The words were out in an instant. If he met the Organization impostor, he could inquire about Xion—but really, he just wanted to go to Castle Oblivion. Xion had mentioned going there, so maybe he would find out something.

“This target is extremely dangerous.” Saïx eyed him with cold disdain. “You couldn’t possibly go alone.”

Roxas was not deterred. But before he could insist, Axel spoke up. “There’s no problem if I go too then, right?”

Saïx turned to Axel, somewhat reproachfully. He had been trying to foster Roxas’s independence recently and here was Axel, eager to coddle him yet again.

“I _do_ know Castle Oblivion better than anyone else in this outfit,” Axel pointed out with a smirk.

Unfortunately, Axel did have a point. “…Very well,” said Saïx. “Go, then, and teach this fraud the price for wearing our coat.”

Axel and Roxas exchanged a glance and a nod. Maybe this would bring them a little closer to Xion.

* * *

“So this is Castle Oblivion…” Roxas looked up at the strange castle. He’d never been here before.

Another new world…but was it really a “world” at all? It seemed more like an extension of the liminal darkness of the corridors. This was where Xion was born. And where so many fellow members of the Organization had met their ends.

“What could possibly be here?” Roxas wondered.

“I told you before, there’s a research facility,” said Axel.

“To research what?”

“I dunno, research is research… Nobodies and Heartless, I guess, stuff like that.”

“What did they have you do here, Axel?”

The third question had him at a loss. Axel scratched his head. “Just recon… More or less.”

That didn’t satisfy Roxas. “What do you mean, more or less?”

“Classified stuff,” Axel replied with a shrug.

“Ugh, fine…” Roxas knew he wouldn’t get a real answer once Axel busted out the classified label. “Can we go in?”

“Sure. We’re here on a mission, aren’t we?”

Roxas pushed the door open. The interior didn’t look much different from the Organization’s castle where they lived. He stepped inside…

And a weird sensation came over him, like everything was twisting somehow…

“Roxas?!”

He heard Axel worriedly calling his name as pain jolted into him. “Ow—my head—!” The wrenching agony didn’t stop at his head. His chest hurt, too. 

“Easy, man! C’mon, let’s retreat for now…”

He knew it was Axel holding him up by the arm, and yet… “No… We have to…find Xion…” So he said, but it took all his strength to speak, and he collapsed to his knees. It hurt. Everything hurt. He could hardly breathe.

“Roxas!” Axel was practically carrying him.

He looked up at Axel’s anxious face—and then it warped in his vision.

“Ugh...”

“We’re leaving. Now!” said Axel.

“No, wait… There’s something… I can almost…”

As Roxas was staggering, Axel led him into a dark corridor.

As soon as the both of them made it to Twilight Town, Roxas collapsed. Worried, Axel watched him as he slept.

* * *

Yesterday Isa had spoken for the first time. It was a shock to Lea, but a very pleasant one nonetheless. After eating ice cream, the two went back to the hotel and Isa fell asleep rather quickly. They hadn’t gotten the chance to talk much. Today, Isa still seemed a little quiet and sleepy. So, the two of them just did a few odd jobs delivering letters, making small talk. Now, they were heading to the Tram Common to buy some ice cream to finish out the day.

“You worked hard today, so you get a reward,” Lea said. As they were walking towards the Sweets Shop, he reluctantly broached the subject. “So, you still don’t remember anything?”

Isa shook his head slowly. “No. I just remember waking up next to you yesterday on the clock tower. I don’t know anything from before that.”

“What about your name?”

Isa seemed to concentrate. “My...name...” Some kind of pressure was gathering between his eyebrows. The center of his head felt heavy, like something pressing from the space between his eyebrows all the way back. Right in the center of his X-shaped scar, where the two gashes intersected. He staggered forward, clutching his head in pain.

_Where am I? Am I alive? I think I’m in...in a prison cell.  
_

_“Young man!”_

_There’s an older man. He’s wearing a white lab coat with a red scarf._

_“Young man, what ails you? Can you speak?”_

_He’s looking right at me._

_“Wh...re...m...I...wh...yo...”_

_I try to get a few words out, but they get all jumbled up and won’t come out properly._

_“Please. Tell me your name.”_

_He’s asking me my name. But I don’t have an answer to give him. I can hear a voice in my head.  
_

_“As your flesh bears the sigil, so your name shall be known as that...of a recusant.”_

_There’s a large ‘X’ in front of me... Recusant...? What is that?_

_“One who refuses to submit to authority.”_

_Authority...?_

_“X...The time has come. You will obey me without fail.”_

_...X...? That’s my name...?  
_

_“A most ancient letter. Death...”  
_

_Death...?_

_“The old you has died. But now, you shall be reborn.”_

_I don’t understand what he's talking about..._

_“The new you.”_

_There’s a loud buzzing noise. My head hurts. I can’t move.  
  
“Young man, please! Wake up!”_

_It’s the old man’s voice again..._

_“It’s no use. All efforts to explore his memories have met with a rejection response.”  
  
Everything is dark now. I’m lost in the dark, by myself. I’m afraid._

_“HEYY!! Wake up!!”_

_That’s Lea's voice. He’s...calling for me...But I can’t see him._

“Are you okay!? Wake up!!” Lea caught him before he hit the ground.

* * *

“—Riku!” Roxas lurched violently awake. His head no longer hurt, at least, but he still had no idea what had happened.

“Whoa, you okay there?” Axel peered at him, clearly concerned.  
  
“What happened to me?” Roxas asked.

“You collapsed right inside the castle doors. Don’t you remember?”

“I remember going inside the castle…” He got to his feet. “But that’s it.” They were now in Twilight Town. Anything that took place once he went through the doors was a blank, though. He felt a little bit woozy but not too bad.

Axel still looked worried. “Hey, you should take a breather.”

“I’m fine. Let’s go back to Castle Oblivion.” 

“Don’t push yourself, man.” Axel started—but then he sensed a presence and jolted his head up. “Who’s there?”

Two people in black cloaks, watching him and Roxas. One was probably Riku. And the other was definitely—

“Xion?!” Roxas ran closer. He just knew it was her.

Xion took one step toward him but then backed away again. Behind her was a swirling dark portal.

“Xion, wait!” She vanished into the corridors. As Roxas dashed after her, the other cloaked figure blocked his path. “Out of the way!” He summoned his Keyblade, but the figure stepped through the portal after Xion. “Hey!” And Roxas followed.

“Roxas, wait!” Axel ran after him in turn.

Roxas pursued the other cloaked figure all the way into the train tunnels.

“Hey. Roxas, settle down a second,” said Axel.

How was he supposed to do that? His chest heaved.

“They’re gone. We’ve lost them.” Axel put a hand on his shoulder.

Roxas looked back at him. “But… Xion…”

“No way was that Xion.” Axel sounded so dismissive, although he was breathing hard, too, having to keep up with Roxas in a determined sprint.

“The one who ran away first was Xion,” Roxas protested. “But...why run?”

* * *

Axel accompanied the silent Roxas to the top of the station tower to calm him down.

“Why would she do that?” Roxas asked, completely at a loss.

“At least we know she’s safe,” said Axel. “She’ll come home when she’s ready.”

Something about that reply bothered Roxas. Like Axel was deliberately being obtuse. “But won’t they turn her into a Dusk?” he prodded.

Axel let out a deep sigh. “Not necessarily.”

Roxas’s frustration was rising. “Who was that guy she was with? Why is she cooperating with him?” His hands balled into fists, and he bit his lip as he stared down at the bottom of the tower.

Axel had no answer to give him.

_The man they’re calling the impostor. That fake Organization member. It’s Riku. Roxas could very well remember that, somewhere deep in his memories. Still, it’s too soon to report this. I need to know why Xion was with him first. If she’s siding with the hero, it could easily mean her erasure. What are you planning to do, Xion?_

* * *

Axel woke up early the next morning.

_Every time I try to wake up, the first thing I can think is how badly I want to go back to sleep— although it’s not like I’m not getting enough rest or my stamina isn’t recovering. I just wish I could have a day to myself and do nothing but sleep. It’s probably some remnant of my human memories._

_Besides, this world is always dark, even in the morning. The deep indigo sky and the heart-shaped moon outside the window might as well be a night sky._

Axel rolled over. He still had a few more minutes. But then he began to think about yesterday.

_After fainting in Castle Oblivion, Roxas called out Riku’s name. Not unlike the time Xion murmured Sora’s name when she passed out that day. Did Roxas remember something there in Castle Oblivion? Without his memories of his human life, Roxas couldn’t possibly know who Riku is. But he called his name. That could only mean a memory came back to him, in some form._

_It makes me uneasy. Maybe it was a bad idea, bringing Roxas to Castle Oblivion knowing it might jog his memory. I took him to the castle thinking we might learn where Xion had gone—but I hadn’t expected to actually find her. And Riku, the other one in the black cloak…_

Axel had seen Riku several times in that castle, back when Roxas was still fairly new. He didn’t like to remember all the intrigue now, nor how he’d treated the Replica.

_“What happens when a fake dies—one like me? Where will my heart go? Does it disappear?”_

_“It’ll go somewhere. Maybe to the same place as mine.”_

_After all, I was the one to determine where the Replica should go._ _I was responsible for his death. Back then I didn’t care what I had to do to achieve my goal. Anyone in my was just a pawn. What the hell has changed since then? I don’t know whether it’s Organization XIII, or myself, or something else entirely. But things are definitely different._

_Roxas and Xion are like a pair of mirrors, reflecting each other back and forth. But is that all? Xion is just a vessel, an empty disk to hold a copy of Roxas’s powers._

_Nobodies derive our personalities and abilities from memories of our human lives. But what exactly are those abilities? What gives rise to them? The answer that comes to mind is the presence of memory itself. We’re chained by our memory, and in those bonds is power. So it’s probably fair to say that Roxas and Xion are bound by the same memory—the memory of Sora. That’s why they both wield a copy of Sora’s Keyblade and fight the exact same way as him._

_As Roxas’s powers are being copied into Xion, she’s absorbing his memories, too. But somehow, I suspect there has to be more to it. There in Castle Oblivion, Roxas called out for Riku. I figured that the castle’s strange aura had provoked some kind of reaction in his memories, like metal fillings in a magnetic field—but I might be wrong. Everything about Roxas’s memories is so uncertain._

“But what if…?” Axel muttered.

What if copying powers from Roxas wasn’t all that Xion was doing? He knew the questions he had to deal with, but he wouldn’t be able to work out the answers himself.

“…Such a pain in the ass.” He groaned, imagining Saïx’s face if he reported all this. _It was so much fun back then. Why did this have to happen?_

The memory of his heart twinged with pain. _Breaking a friendship was this painful, was it? I lost my heart, so I don’t really know._

“So sluggish. Don’t wanna get up…” But he dragged himself out of bed, taking a huge stretch and cricking his neck. He had to get to the Grey Area early if he wanted to talk to Saïx.

_Doesn’t look like I’ll spend today in a very nice mood, either._

* * *

As soon as Axel entered the lobby, he knew there was something up. Saïx didn’t even wait for him to approach. “Axel. You failed to report that the impostor and Xion are working together. Instead, that news came from Roxas yesterday.”

Axel averted his eyes. “I was gonna tell you this morning...”

Saïx sighed. “As you know, Number Fourteen is working in tandem with Riku. That means Xion is a traitor.”

 _So_ _...the time has come._ “So, you’re ordering me to do it?”

“Now that Xion has had contact with that man in the black coat, tell me what choice is left.”

As Roxas entered the lobby, the obvious tension piqued his curiosity, but they fell silent when he approached. “Um, Axel…?”

Axel looked away. 

Uncertain what to ask, Roxas hesitated.

Saïx spoke first. “Xion has betrayed us.”

“What?!” It felt like the wind was knocked out of him.

But Saïx didn’t give him any time to absorb it. “You saw the creature consorting with that impostor. What more evidence do we need?”

“That’s not evidence!” Roxas retorted. “You don’t even know why she was with him!” He looked at Axel in desperation—but Axel refused to meet his eyes. 

“It’s a clear act of betrayal. It is now obvious that Xion stands against us.”

“She only stood next to him—It doesn’t mean she’s against us!”

“That’s just what you want to think, isn’t it? I think we all know, and you just don’t want to accept it,” Saïx remarked, his voice dripping with disdain.

“She could’ve just been threatened. He might be forcing her…” Roxas mumbled. 

“Hah! Your pitiful way of thinking is just like a human’s. It’s nauseating.”

“What do you mean, like a human’s…?”

 _Like a human. He’s referring to me, I’m sure,_ Axel thought. _I could never just grow up. It’s my fault Saïx is stuck here in the organization. Because I was a crybaby kid who couldn’t accept reality._

Roxas stared at the floor, his fists clenched at his sides. Were Nobodies and humans really all that different? He recalled a previous conversation he had with Saïx. 

_“This was a training mission, right!? You didn’t need to go full force on him!”_

_“Hmph. Full force? Don’t make me laugh. I was holding back.”_

_“Still, you didn’t need to beat him THAT bad. He’s a comrade—one of us!”_

_“Comrade? One of us? Now is a good opportunity to learn, Roxas. We are only organized to fulfill our purpose of completing Kingdom Hearts. Nothing more. Anything that gets in the way of that goal—even a member of the organization—deserves no mercy. Don’t forget that.”_

Roxas raised his head to glare at Saïx. “Why is it such a crime to trust a comrade?!”

Axel sighed. Roxas still had no idea what the organization was really like. What HE was really like. An assassin. He’d mercilessly eliminated his former “comrades” plenty of times before. And Saïx had no reason to consider anyone in the organization a comrade, either. Not after what was done to him after being branded a “traitor”. The scar on his face was proof of that.

“That’s enough, Roxas.” Axel put out an arm in front of him before he could lunge at Saïx. “C’mon, just calm down a little.”

Roxas chewed his lip. He didn’t have a handle on anything. He always thought Axel was on his and Xion’s side.

_“Did it break again? That didn’t take long. That’s why I told IT not to move.”_

_“Don’t call her an ‘it’!”_

_“Keep your mouth shut.”_

After all, the last time Saïx insulted Xion, Axel seemed angry on her behalf and defended her. Even Roxas was concerned Axel might have gone too far talking back. But now, Saïx was saying something infinitely worse. And Axel didn’t seem to care at all. He wasn’t arguing or anything. Roxas couldn’t understand what he was thinking.

Saïx looked down his nose at Roxas. “The impostor has resurfaced in Twilight Town. Go and destroy him, Roxas—like I expected you to do yesterday.”

“Wh—? Destroy?” Roxas stammered.

“Yes, destroy,” Saïx replied, now cool and businesslike. “It seems you need clear orders, or you’ll just let the target escape. This is an elimination mission.”

Roxas hung his head and said nothing.

“Axel, you bring back Xion. And if that proves too troublesome, then you are authorized to adopt a more permanent solution and dispose of it.”

“What?!” Roxas cried. “Saïx, no! That’s going too—destroy her?!”

“Roxas. Easy!” Axel had to hold him back again from launching himself at Saïx.

“You have your orders. Get going.” Saïx promptly walked away.

Roxas bit his lip, staring down at his boots in fury. The silence went on long enough to be awkward, until Axel scratched his head and sighed.

“Ahhh… what a pain,” he said.

Without Saïx as an outlet, Roxas’s rage turned on Axel. “You’re not actually gonna follow those orders, are you?! They’re treating her like a traitor!”

Axel only scratched his head again. “Relax. We don’t _know_ that Xion is gonna put up a fight.”

“How can you be so calm? Is it because Nobodies don’t feel anything?” Roxas’s voice began shaking and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. “Then why does it hurt so much? I’m a Nobody, too.”

“Roxas...” Axel gave Roxas a pat on the shoulder. “I’ll think of something clever once I find her.”

“Something clever…?”

“Yeah. Just trust me, okay?” 

Roxas looked at the floor again. He knew he could trust Axel. But still…

“You just worry about yourself,” said Axel. “That guy in the cloak won’t go down without a fight.”

“Yeah, I know.” Roxas nodded without meeting his eyes.

“Anyway, let’s check Twilight Town separately.”

“Huh? Why?” Roxas asked, looking up. He didn’t see why they couldn’t work together.

“We’ll find our targets faster if we split up. That’s just math. C’mon, let’s get going,” he urged.

Roxas willed his feet to move, but they felt heavy. Things weren’t the same between them. He didn’t know what to do. 

* * *

Axel’s mind wandered as he went down the slope from the station plaza to the tram common.

_“I’ll think of something clever once I find her.”_

_“Something clever…?”_

_“Yeah. Just trust me, okay?”_

_Something clever. It’s not the first time I’ve lied like that. I told Saïx that I would take over the Organization with him. But I didn’t understand what or how I was gonna do it. I’m still not entirely sure._

_Did Roxas realize I was lying?_ _It’d be great if he didn't. But that’s being too optimistic._

_Roxas is starting to resent the Organization because of Xion. It’s an uncomfortable idea, but I’m getting worried that Roxas’s doubts might include me as well._

_And I’m still uncertain what’s best for Roxas or for Xion. I can’t even guess what will come of it if the two of them have any more contact. The only thing I know is that Xion is copying Roxas’s memories and his powers. What would happen if the process ran to completion?_

Axel didn’t know that, either. 

_I want to find Xion before Roxas does—and that was why I had us split up. If I can find her first, maybe I can defuse some of the tension._

_I wonder how I can come to a conclusion where no one gets hurt, and everyone gets what they want. Maybe something like that doesn’t exist. But, even so, I still don’t want to give up._

He walked on.

_“It hurts”, huh?_

_How ironic. Maybe I should be glad I’m a Nobody... That I can’t feel anything. Because if I could, the pain would definitely be unbearable._

* * *

“Xion!”

Axel headed in the direction of Roxas’s voice.

_I’m a moment too late. Looks like Roxas found Xion first._

Axel had folded his arms and eavesdropped.

“Where’ve you been? Axel and I have been looking all over for you.”

“You have?” She couldn’t meet his eyes. “Sorry.”

Roxas stepped closer, reaching out toward her. “Let’s go home. If you come back voluntarily, Saïx will let all this drop. He has to.”

She clenched her fist there, hanging her head.

“No matter what that guy says, I’ll protect you.”

She looked up at Roxas’s stubborn declaration. His unguarded smile made her chest ache even more. 

“Me and Axel, will protect you—”

 _Roxas doesn’t really get the reality of the situation. He’s making a promise he can’t really keep_ , Axel thought. _It’s just like back then...that day._

_“They… they’ll find out they don’t need me… and they’ll turn me into a Dusk…”_

_“We’ll never let that happen.”_

_I was the one who had to think of a solution back then, too. And I guess I’ll have to do it again today._

Xion shook her head, cutting him off. “I really can’t go back.”

“Why not? Come on…” Roxas demanded, hurt.

She turned away and tried to run.

“Wait!” Roxas took hold of her hand.

She didn’t move. Slowly, Xion turned, summoning the Keyblade to her hand.

“Wh…what…?” Roxas gasped. Her Keyblade was identical to the one Roxas had lent her that time.  
  
 _That’s it. I have to act now or she and Roxas are going to fight._

Axel remembered a conversation he had with Naminé back in Castle Oblivion.

_“Does it hurt, Naminé? Watching your two childhood friends fight all because of you? You have my sympathies. From the heart.”_

_I don’t want Roxas to fight Xion. I’d do anything to prevent Roxas feeling that type of pain. Even if I have to do it myself, right in front of him. I’ll take that burden on, so he won’t have to._

As Xion lifted her arm to point the Keyblade at Roxas, Axel tossed his chakram, knocking it aside. The weapon returned to its owners’s hand as he finally revealed himself. “Well, hello there, Xion.” He stood there with a smirk.

Roxas spun to look at him.

Realizing his intentions, Xion didn’t waste time. She leaped at Axel, Keyblade swinging.

Axel could hear Roxas pleading, “No, wait!”

Xion jumped back from Axel and let out a furious shout. Then—she charged.  
  
 _Xion is serious. She’s fighting me with everything she has. I may have to take her out right now. So be it._

“Stooooop!” Roxas screamed.

Xion flinched, letting her guard down for barely a split second—but it was enough for Axel to dart behind her and knock her out with a blow to the back of her neck. It was a move he had used in the past, which is why he was able to react so swiftly. He caught her as she fell, and Roxas ran to them.

Axel stared at him momentarily, then turned away and opened the Corridors of Darkness. Then he was on his way back to the castle with Xion, alone.

* * *

Gazing at the pod that held the sleeping Xion, Axel wondered what was to come.

_If Roxas had managed to talk her into coming back, so much the better. I wouldn’t have minded that. But Xion made her choice: a definite no. And the choice I made was to secure her. In that instant, there was no other way. I intended to choose the path that would cause Roxas the least harm._

_Even now, I’m not sure whether it was the right choice. But I’m sure—mostly sure—that it was the best one out of the options I had at the time._

_I still have no idea how to explain things to Roxas, and my thoughts have been so tangled I can’t even begin to find the words. That self-doubt led me to turn my back on Roxas. Maybe that, if nothing else, will plant the seeds of distrust in him. But in that moment, I saw no other way._

_Xion had her own doubts, and that was why she rejected Roxas. I have no idea what will happen between those two after this. Someday, she’ll reach her decision, so for now I’ll have to obey the Organization—and Saïx. What will she do? What will happen to her? And Roxas?_

* * *

Axel walked into the lobby waiting for Roxas to come back. He would pretend he hadn’t been, of course—he would just happen to run into him. He leaned against the wall of the long hallway, staring into space. He’d put Xion in a pod to sleep rather than her bed, because she was no longer being treated as a Nobody who once was human. Her status had reflected what she really was. And he couldn’t let Roxas find out yet.

“Axel!”

At the sound of his name, Axel looked up. Roxas was furious, perhaps unsurprisingly, but Axel still answered with a smile. “Oh, hey, Roxas.”

“Where is she?” Roxas demanded, breathless with effort.

“Safe,” said Axel. Roxas grabbed his collar and shouted,

“How could you do that to her?!”

“Do what?” Axel’s stubborn calm took the wind from his sails.

Roxas went slack. His voice came out small and defeated. “You didn’t have to use force…”

Axel sighed theatrically and circled his shoulders. “Didn’t I?” _I did what I had to._

Still gripping Axel’s collar, Roxas shook his head with the emphatic refusal of a little kid. “No, you didn’t…” But he sounded uncertain as he said it, and his voice shrank even more. “We’re supposed to be best friends.”

Axel brushed Roxas’s hands from his collar, trying to be the objective adult in the situation. “This isn’t about friendship.” 

Roxas raised his head. The glare in his blue eyes was sharp as a knife.

 _He’s never looked at me like that. My chest aches just a little._ He let out another sigh. “Listen, if that’s all, I gotta go.”

Roxas wilted again, and something in his expression weakened Axel’s resolve slightly. He couldn’t help but recognize his past self in Roxas’s childlike reaction. 

_I just did what I thought was the best thing at the time. For Roxas’s sake, for Xion’s sake, for the Organization's sake—and for Isa’s sake. But most of all for my own sake._

He turned away from Roxas and made himself walk away.

_“We’re supposed to be best friends.”_

_I told him this isn’t about friendship, but that’s what I’m trying to be. A best friend._

_“In times of trouble, you can depend on your friends. Right, Roxas?”_

_You can always go to your best friend when you’re in trouble. You can lean on them. I’ve tried to be that person for Roxas as best I could. Even if it means sacrificing that friendship, I’ll protect him. Because that’s what a best friend does._

_“What’s it like having a best friend, Axel?”_

_“Well... I haven’t got a best friend, so I couldn’t tell ya.”_

_Still, right now, I wish there was someone I could lean on. Someone who worried this much about MY well-being. A best friend who would sacrifice everything to protect ME. That’d be nice._

* * *

After he left Roxas, Axel’s distracted wandering through the hallways came to a stop when he saw someone else.

_He was probably waiting for me. Standing there against the wall with his arms folded was once my best friend—_

But Saïx was keeping his gaze fixed on the floor. _Axel didn’t tell me about Xion working with Riku. But now he has captured Xion and returned it to us. His motives are impossible to read. Our plans can be altered if necessary, but doing so can only delay their realization. Our ultimate goal is to overthrow Xemnas._

“You’re sure things are better this way?” Axel wondered aloud. 

Finally, Saïx looked up. “I never expected _you_ to question it.”

_Question it? Well, that’s one way of referring to the buzzing doubt in my chest. Doubt. Remorse. I haven’t had any of this before. For all these years I haven’t given a damn about a single other person but Saïx. I’ve done all of this for his sake. So I can find a way to free him from this organization._

Saïx left his perch by the wall and came closer. “Which one is more dear to you? Roxas or the puppet?”

Axel looked away. _“Dear” to me? He’s asking like we have hearts._

“Or put it this way,” Saïx said, as if he’d heard himself. “Which one would you rather suffer the loss of? Some make-believe friendship or a real one?”

_All of this is putting a strain on our friendship too, is what he's saying, I guess. The answer is obvious. If it came down to Roxas or a puppet, I know perfectly well which one I would save._

“Things are finally right again,” Saïx went on. “Of course this is for the best, isn’t it?”

 _Those words. ‘For the best.’ They bring back so many memories._ _The reason I’m unable to answer Saïx is probably because I depend on him,_ thought Axel. _He’s the only one I’ve ever depended on._ _Because he’s the only one who was willing to sacrifice everything for my sake. He took on the role of the ‘adult’ so I wouldn’t have to... Just like I’m trying to do for Roxas now._

“Xemnas is exasperated from all the ‘fixing’ we’ve had to do. We have to set things right for the sake of our goal. There is simply too much on the line…Lea.”

Hearing his old name, Axel glanced up to see Saïx watching him intently. He remembered being human. Memories surged inside him, crowding the space in his chest. For Nobodies, memory had all the weight of a heart.

_I remember. I won’t forget. But those sunsets with Roxas and Xion are also part of my memory now._

Axel broke away again from Saïx’s gaze, looking down at nothing.

* * *

Isa suddenly jolted up.

He seemed terrified of something and began hyperventilating. All of his hair stood on end. His face became red. His eyes were glowing yellow, like a Heartless. An ominous feeling filled the air.

Lea slowly took another step forward toward his friend. But as soon as he made a move, Isa lunged at him. He attacked with his bare hands, like claws. He seemed like a caged animal backed into a corner, defending itself as a last resort.

“Wh-What? Stop! It’s me!”

Isa wasn’t acting like himself at all. _Isa would never attack me. It’s like something is possessing him._

Isa continued to attack Lea seemingly without any awareness of what he was doing. He was frighteningly strong.

“Snap out of it!” Lea yelled, but it didn’t seem like Isa could hear him. Lea was having a hard time protecting himself from the vicious blows, but he was reluctant to use too much force to fend him off.

_Damn it! What do I do!? I don’t want to hurt him! But if I don’t do something, he’s going to kill me!_

Lea took quite a beating as he pondered over what to do. His arms and legs were getting bruised.

“Arrrghhh!” he shouted as he was thrown against the wall.

Isa came charging right at him as he was backed against the wall.

 _What do I do!? I don’t think I can bring myself to...attack him..._ Lea instinctively shielded himself with his arms while yelling at the top of his lungs. “STOOOOOOOOP!”

Surprisingly, that worked. Isa stopped attacking Lea. He just stood there, motionless. Then he clutched his head in pain and collapsed onto the ground.

Lea took him into his arms and anxiously waited for him to come to.

After a few tense minutes, Isa slowly opened his eyes.

“Are you all right!?” Lea asked frantically.

“I think so...” He looked around. “What...happened...?”

Lea averted his eyes. “...N-Nothing. You looked a little lightheaded, then you just passed out all of a sudden. Guess your head’s still pretty foggy.” He helped him onto his feet. “C’mon. Let’s get some ice cream."

The two headed to the top of the clock tower.

“Something wrong...? It’s melting,” Lea spoke up reluctantly.

Isa was staring off into space. “I think...I remembered something.”

Lea looked at him mid-bite, trying to hide his uneasiness.

“I remember being locked up in a prison cell. Then a man came to take me away. I couldn’t see him because it was so dark. Just that he wore an eyepatch. The next thing I remember, I woke back up in the cell, alone. Then, some researcher came and started prodding me with questions, trying to uncover my identity. I couldn’t even tell him my name. I was just called ‘X’ there.” He turned to look at Lea as if looking for answers. “Who am I?”

Lea felt his heart ache. He knew he’d have to make a difficult choice right now. A painful choice to either tell him the truth or lie and let go of their past. 

_His memory is blocking out his trauma. I can’t let him know what happened to him. If he starts to remember more, his mind might break down again. Or he might lose control of himself again. If that happens, I might have to...use force on him. No. I can’t let that happen no matter what._

_I can’t even tell him who I am. If I do, he’ll have too many questions about himself. It’s better that he doesn’t know the truth. I have no choice. I have to do this. I have to let it all go. For his sake._

Lea looked over at Isa.

_It hurts. It hurts lying to him. It hurts to...break this friendship._

“I don’t know. I just found you lying on the ground. You were kinda like a zombie, so I decided to look after you.”

The look on Isa’s face was one of clear disappointment and also fear. “I don’t understand anything. I’m so confused.”

Lea looked at him helplessly. He looked so agonized.

“I just want to have somewhere...I belong...”

"Hey now," Lea instantly interjected. “You _do_ have somewhere you belong.”

Isa stared at him.

“Ya know, I think I was destined to find you.” He gave him the most reassuring smile he could manage. That was all he could offer.

Isa smiled back, a bit shyly.

The clock tower’s bells rang as the two boys slowly finished eating their ice cream.

“Hey,” Lea spoke up after a long heavy silence. He was still a bit too nervous to look at Isa.

“Huh?”

“You can always just...stop remembering.” Lea shrugged a bit as he said it.

“What do you mean...?”

“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from. Forget the past. Forget everything that might have happened and just...start over.”

“But...how...?”

Lea finally looked him in the eye. “Look. What matters isn’t the past. It’s your present. You have your whole life to make new memories. Think about it.”

Isa turned away and looked into the sunset. Would he ever remember his past? Did he even want to know? Or did he just want to focus on his present?

* * *

In the Round Room, Saïx looked up at Xemnas high above.

“Was how we dealt with Roxas and Xion… really for the best?” His tone was markedly different from usual, as if he spoke to an old friend rather than a superior.

“I will admit, Xion has strayed from our original designs,” Xemnas replied. “But this unpredictable behavior is proving to have an interesting side effect.”

“Really?” said Saïx, unconvinced.

“The Key…”

_Key? The key connecting everything, perhaps? The Keyblade is the key to the worlds. Would it also unlock all these mysteries?_

“Xion’s exposure to Roxas effected a transfer of its power, just as we had hoped,” Xemnas continued. “Had things stopped there, Xion would have been an unequivocal success. But then, through Roxas, Sora himself began to shape ‘it’ into ‘her,’ giving Xion a strong sense of self. Too strong.”

_Sora’s influence was more potent than we accounted for. That is the power of a Keyblade wielder, apparently._

“Our plan seemed like a failure at this point, but then it occurred to me. Xion is keeping Sora’s memories trapped by claiming them as her own.”

_This unexpected development for the Organization also posed an unanticipated problem for Sora and his slumber, as well as those seeking to protect him._

“Keeping her close to Roxas will ultimately prevent Sora from ever waking,” Xemnas finished.

“I see. Then what about that impostor in the black cloak?” The other thing that concerned Saïx was the cloaked man—Riku.

“That gadfly? See that he stays away from Roxas. He only poses a threat if his buzzing reaches Xion’s ears.”

That was an order, and Saïx politely bowed his head. “Then we shall return to our original plan.” As he kept his head low in obeisance, Xemnas couldn’t see his bitter approximation of a smile. _Back to the original plan. No room for hesitation. Isn’t that right, Lea?_


	20. Day 321: Waning Power & Day 322: Fleeting

Roxas’s cheeks felt cold. “Huh…?” He rubbed his face. Somehow it was wet. His vision was all misty.

He lay in his bed, and outside the window, Kingdom Hearts hung in the sky.

He’d been dreaming. It left him in terrible anguish—a nightmare about his two best friends being torn away from him because he was too weak to protect them. Because he had lost the use of the Keyblade.

He wondered if Xion had felt that same helplessness when she couldn’t use her Keyblade.

Roxas got up and stared into space. He felt so…heavy. So tired and listless. Like he hadn’t slept at all. He just wanted to go back to sleep.

Was it because of the dreams? But he dreamed all the time. Even if he couldn’t always remember them so vividly, the dreaming was nothing new.

His reflection in the mirror was no different from usual. Maybe his eyes were a little red—probably because he was so tired.

He got himself ready and headed for the Grey Area.

* * *

Axel was having a dream, too.

_Lea was sitting on one of the benches in fountain court with Isa. It was dark out. He looked up at waning crescent moon. It looked the same as the moon on Isa’s jacket._

_“Hey, Isa.”_

_“Hmm?”_

_“How come the moon glows? It’s not a star, right? And how come it changes shape every night?”_

_Isa sighed. “You never pay attention in class, do you?”_

_“Hehe. Whoops. Guess we already covered that?”_

_“Ugh. You’re completely hopeless.”_

_“C’mon, tell me! Please!” Lea wriggled in his seat like a little kid._

_Isa decided to tell Lea his favorite bedtime story he heard as a kid. “It’s the rabbit’s heart.”_

_“Huh? Rabbit?”_

_“Yeah. They say long ago, the moon used to be dark. But that all changed one day. The Man on the Moon decided to visit the animals in the forest, to test their hearts. So he transformed himself into a beggar. He was so hungry, he didn’t even have the strength to stand on his own. He asked each animal in the forest to help him. The fox brought him fruit, and the bear brought him fish. But the rabbit felt helpless.”_

_Lea was listening intently._

_“He was small and weak and was only used to collecting grass for food. He wasn’t able to find anything to save the dying man. Ashamed, he went back.”_

_‘I am so sorry but I have not yet found anything; I will search elsewhere. Please make a fire and await my return.’_

_“Standing by the old man, the smug fox and bear were getting impatient.”_

_‘The rabbit brought back nothing and now he tells us to make a fire and wait for him? Useless!’_

_“A little while later, the rabbit returned, still with nothing to offer the man. So instead he offered his own body to eat. He stared into the fire, then jumped into its flames.”_

_“That’s going...a bit too far...” Lea said, a little sad._

_“Well, that was when the old beggar revealed that he was the Man on the Moon. He was touched by the rabbit’s sacrifice. He renounced his own self for the sake of another. The rabbit was reborn and his heart was taken to the moon, where he was able to live forever. There, the Man in the Moon told him something.”_

_‘You may be just a rabbit, but everyone will remember you. Here is your heart’s light in the sky, for all people and for all times to see.’_

_“That’s why the moon’s phases exist in a cycle of waxing and waning. It represents the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.”_

_“I don’t think that’s what we learned in school,” Lea joked._

_Isa simply smiled at him._

_Lea couldn’t help but think that his green eyes looked beautiful under the moonlight._

_“It’d be nice to live forever, huh?” he remarked to Isa, gazing up at the moon._

Axel woke up suddenly from his dream and looked at the heart-shaped moon outside his window. He reclined on his bed with hands behind his head. He couldn’t help but recall Roxas’s words.

_“We’re supposed to be best friends.”_

Then Saïx's words came to mind.

_“If you could save one of them, why would you choose the puppet?”_

_Guess it’s time for me to make some decisions soon._

He sighed, then got up and headed to the Gray area.

* * *

 _That dream again_ , Xemnas thought looking up at heart-shaped moon.

Was it really just a dream? Or was it a vision of his future?

He saw himself sitting atop a great throne, clad in silver armor. Surrounding this throne were many weapons, once used by his fallen comrades. He, No Heart, had devoured their hearts and their strength along with it. He was engaged in a fierce battle with Sora over the fate of Kingdom Hearts. 

_“Face them. Face the unquenched thirst for battle of those who have returned to the void!”_

_“Unquenched thirst for battle? You’re just using them.”_

_“And why not? The power of the weak exists to feed the strong. You too may become my strength.”_

“Hearts quivering with hatred... Hearts burning with rage... Hearts scarred by envy... Hearts are the source of all power. Hear me, Kingdom Hearts! I will feed to you as many hearts as it takes.”

Keyblade Masters had a special gift. They could extract a heart, be it their own or that of another. By continuing that cycle, it was possible to remain in the world of the living forever. They were effectively immortal. But such an ability required them to hollow out another person and steal their body. And that was exactly what Xemnas was planning to do. Offer up thirteen vessels, thirteen bodies, as an offering to Kingdom Hearts so that “they” could live forever.

“Lord Xemnas. How is the progress of Kingdom Hearts?”

Xemnas turned to look at Saïx, who had just arrived.

_“Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. And yet they know not the true power of what they hold. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free…until they weave together to form Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes at last, we can truly exist.”_

_On that day the Replicas will truly finally exist. We shall finally be able to exist in the realm of light without the aid of human vessels. Somewhere deep down, Saïx must be aware of that._

“There is no need to worry. The time will come very soon,” Xemnas replied confidently.

Isa already had Xehanort’s heart planted within him long ago. Due to the mind control experiments, he renounced his sense of self, leaving him unable to reject Xehanort’s heart. All who had Xehanort’s heart planted within them were gradually swallowed by it.

The hearts were consumed, but they did not disappear. They were dragged to the deepest abyss by the Lich. This being wasn’t like other Heartless. It was a powerful wizard, skilled in necromancy, who sought eternal life. The captured hearts returned to the void, leaving behind empty vessels for the Replicas to inhabit.

Isa’s body was a host to one of these Replicas. One of the thirteen dark beings that would be present in Scala ad Caelum on the promised day. Saïx therefore was not like the other members. He was not Lea’s childhood friend. He was a Replica who had devoured Isa’s heart, absorbed his memories, and took control of his empty shell. Due to those memories, he truly thought he _was_ Isa, just as the Riku Replica thought he was Riku. And so did Axel. This was why Xemnas never bothered to punish them, even though he was well aware of their intent to betray him.

Xemnas thought of Xion. He knew that Xion’s true form was an armor-clad Keyblade wielder, just like him. No Heart. A Replica with the ability to absorb the memories and strength of others and use it as her own. Xion herself had no idea of her true nature, however. At least for now. Soon, she would awaken to her true purpose and desire only one thing: strength.

* * *

When Axel arrived in the lobby, Demyx and Luxord were sitting at the table. Xion was already there, too. He decided to wait, so he stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. _After I brought Xion back that day, we all went up to the clock tower. But none of us said a word. For the past three weeks, it’s been pretty awkward. Nobody’s said much. I can tell Roxas is still mad at me._

“Hey, did you know that Luxord can, like, predict the future with his cards?” Demyx was petty bored waiting for Saïx to show up, who was uncharacteristically late.

“Mind doin’ a reading for me?” Xigbar, who had just entered the lobby, walked over to the table.

Luxord addressed his superior in a formal way. “I didn’t know you were interested in this kind of thing, sir.”

“Oh, I think it sounds pretty fun. I’ll bite.”

Lurord shuffled his deck and laid a handful of cards face down on the table. “All right. Choose one.”

Xigbar flipped a card.

“The Devil.”

 _Yeah, that sounds about right_ , Axel quietly thought to himself as he observed from a distance.

“So, what’s it mean?”

“It represents being seduced by the material world and physical pleasures.” 

Xigbar flashed a somewhat devious-looking smile, which creeped Demyx out.

“This card is associated with Capricorn, one of the twelve signs of the zodiac.”

Demyx cocked his head to the side. “Zodiac?”

“I’ve been to many a world. I recall one with a magic mirror that knew the answer to any question asked of it. On that mirror were twelve symbols. Those were the signs of the zodiac. They are said to each represent a certain type of personality.”

“Oh. So what's Xigbar's personality like?”

“Capricorns are ambitious, organized, and practical. They also love making their own rules and will overcome whatever stands between them and their long-term goals. They don’t let anything distract them from getting ahead. Because of their unwavering focus, however, they are often perceived as cold and unemotional.”

Xigbar burst out laughing. “Ahahaha! Oh, man, I just love me some card games. Well, I gotta get to work.” Then he promptly left.

“Man. That guy is weird,” remarked Demyx after he was out of earshot. “Hey Xion, why don’t you give it a try?”

Xion walked over to the table. “Ok...sure.” The card she flipped over had nothing but a large X on it.

“Death,” Luxord said.

Xion and Demyx both gasped.

“It’s nothing to fear. Death does not mean physical death, mind you. The Death Tarot card usually signifies spiritual transformation and a time of change and new beginnings, not actual death.”  
  
“...I see,” she said quietly.  
  
“Huh. So, what’s Xion’s personality?”

“Scorpio. A water sign.”

Xion thought about that. Water. The sea. The sound of the waves.

“Scorpio is the most mysterious and intense sign in the zodiac. They are known for their passion, assertiveness, determination, and decisiveness.”

“True, Xion is pretty hard-working,” Demyx added. He turned around. “Hey, Axel! Come here and let Luxord tell your fortune!”

“Oh, whatever. Fine.” He walked over to the table and flipped over a card.

“Ah, the Sun. This card conveys a sense of bounty. It is concerned with the cycles of birth, life, death, and rebirth. This is a very warm and happy card. It comes up to light the way forward during a time of darkness. This is also a card of healing, especially on an emotional level. It promises hope and happiness, along with a new sense of safety, protection, and recovery. You could say that when this card appears, miracles happen.”

“Wow, pretty sweet! So what’s his personality?”

“Well, Leo is the sign ruled by the Sun. It is a fiery sign known for being generous, warm-hearted, and affectionate. They are confident and ambitious, and are usually the center of attention. Why, they can charm the pants of just about anyone and it’s never boring with them around. And like the lion that represents them, Leos are also strong, brave, and ready to dominate everything they set out to do.”

“Sounds pretty cool, man!” Demyx thought about it for a second. “Oh, oh! I know! Do Saïx! Do Saïx!”

“Oh, boy...” Axel sighed.

“All right. I suppose we can give him a reading before he shows up.” Luxord shuffled again, spread the cards out and flipped one over. “Hmm.  The Moon. Interesting. This card represents fear and the shadows that lurk in the subconscious. It is also a card of illusion and deception. It suggests that something is not as it appears to be.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” Demyx wondered aloud.

“I couldn’t say. But the Moon rules Cancer. It is an emotional water sign. Those born under it tend to be the most sensitive of all, despite their tough outer shell. They are extremely nurturing, loyal, and selfless.”

Demyx gave Luxord a bewildered stare. “...Uh, dude? I think you must have made some kinda mistake.”

Luxord just stroked his beard. “The cards have spoken. I am merely a messenger.”

“Yeah, but come on. X-face? Sensitive? Nurturing? Pffft. What a joke!”

“Well, Cancers do have a dark side. They are known for their moodiness. This is because the moon waxes and wanes with the changing tides. Their deepest fear is abandonment, which makes them needy. They don’t open up to others easily, but when they do become comfortable with someone, they cling to them for dear life. They can be quite desperate for that person’s affection. If they don’t get it, they can be very withdrawn and jealous.”

“Moody, huh? Well, I guess we better watch out on a full moon. Saïx might be having his time of the month, if ya know what I mean. Hahaha—Huh?” Demyx suddenly whirled around when he noticed Luxord’s expression. “Oh, uh. Saïx. G-good...morning...”

It was uncertain if Saïx overheard anything. He said nothing and simply walked to his usual spot.

Not long afterwards, Roxas finally arrived. He saw Xion and Axel in the lobby. But he no longer knew what to say to either of them. Why had Axel attacked Xion like that? He’d been for real. Serious enough that he almost seemed about to take her down for good. The thought made Roxas nervous. Axel wasn’t saying anything to him, either.

As the awkward silence settled over them, Demyx spoke up.

“Yo! Morning, Roxas!”

“Morning...”

“Man. You look tiiiired. Hey, wanna hear your fortune? That should wake you up.” Demyx wanted to satisfy his own curiosity more than anything.

“Huh? Oh, uh, sure.” He flipped over a card.

“The Star.”

Stars. Roxas did always enjoy looking at them for some reason. “What’s it mean?” Roxas asked.

“When the Star card appears in a reading, it indicates renewed hope and faith. You could say it’s the card of inspiration.”

“Oh...” Roxas didn’t seem to think it fit his current situation.

“So, what’s Roxas’s personality?” Demyx asked.

“Aquarius. Despite the name, it’s actually an air sign. They are kind, friendly, and generous, though you may find that they are quite guarded and may choose to keep some emotional distance. Despite their friendly nature, they have a reputation for being outsiders, sometimes feeling detached from the world around them.”  


“We don’t have time for these childish games. Get going on your missions already,” Saïx barked.

“Yeah, yeah...” Demyx whined under his breath. “Killjoy.”

Xion cocked her head. “Roxas, is something wrong? You don’t look so good…”

“No—I’m fine.”

“Are you sure…?” Xion looked uncertainly to Axel, but he had nothing to say.

Roxas gave up and quietly dragged himself toward Saïx.

“I’m deploying you and Xion together today,” was the order.

That let Roxas breathe a bit easier. He was glad the mission was with her. Especially since it meant he wasn’t with Axel. “All right. Let’s go, Xion.”

“…Right.”

Roxas started off by himself, opening the portal to the Corridors of Darkness.

“Hey, Roxas, wait up.” Xion came after him, but she stopped right in front of the portal to glance back at Axel.

“Don’t push yourself,” Axel said.

What he said reminded her of the day she collapsed and Axel said the three of them were best friends. She smiled at him and disappeared into the corridors.

* * *

Axel left on his own mission. All he was told was the usual: find Riku. He’d already searched all the worlds Sora had visited. So, today he went to a new world. 

_Riku is very cautious. He wouldn’t let Xion anywhere near the hero until she made her final decision. I wonder if Xemnas is disappointed that she didn’t lead him to Sora. Now what do they plan to do with her?_

Axel searched all day and, unsurprisingly, found nothing. He sat down in a tree on top of a cliff overlooking a great oasis. There was a waterfall nearby. He looked out at the scenery for a while until three inhabitants of the world showed up. A lion, a warthog, and a meerkat. 

_Since I’m sitting up here in this tree, I don’t think they can see me._

This was where the three friends lived. Three outcasts named Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa. Axel knew a little bit about Simba, since he was an acquaintance of Sora. He was hiding his past from his two relatively carefree friends. Both he and Axel had something in common. 

At night Simba liked to watch the stars, just as Axel liked to watch the sunset. To Keyblade wielders, the stars were the hearts of the worlds. But Simba was taught something else. He sauntered on over towards the cliff and plopped down, causing flowers to be carried off in the wind. 

“Simba, what’s eatin’ ya?” asked Pumbaa.

“Nothing. He’s at the top of the food chain! Get it? Ahhhhhhha ha haaa!” Timon howled with laughter at his own joke, but suddenly realized Simba didn’t find it so amusing. “C’mon, Simba. What’s the matter?”

“Oh. It’s nothing. I’m just...watching the herds move.”

Timon approached the cliff where Simba was and looked down. Far off in the distance, towards the savannah, movement could be seen. All sorts of animals were heading towards the Pride Lands. “Ah, you’re right. Wonder where they’re all going?”

Simba responded in a monotone voice. “Maybe a new future king has been born.”

“A king?” Pumbaa asked, clueless. Timon didn’t seem to know what he meant, either.

Simba explained in a detached manner, staring off in the distance. “A king’s time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, the sun will set on the current king’s time, and will rise with a new king. I think that a new future king must have been born. So, animals from all around the kingdom are going to pay their respects before his time rises.”

“So, uh, no offense Simba, but why is the king a LION?” Timon asked cynically.

“Because he’s the strongest,” Pumbaa said as he nodded, satisfied with that simple explanation.

“Right...the strongest rule...” Simba replied quietly, thinking of his father.

“But why are there antelope heading to pay respects to a lion as their king? Don’t lions, ya know, EAT antelope?”

“Yes, Timon. But when we lions die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life. Everything exists together, in a delicate balance,” he said reciting his father’s words as he remembered them all those years ago.

Timon wasn’t convinced. “Nope. Still don’t get it. They worship something...that eats them. Sure, the lions become the grass, but they’re already dead. Us? We’re alive! I mean, everyone’s gotta eat to live and all, but I ain’t a fan of sacrificin’ myself to become someone else’s meal, if ya know what I mean.”

Simba wasn’t sure how to answer. That was just what he was always taught.

Axel lingered in this world until the sun began to set. He wasn’t planning on going up to the clock tower today. He couldn’t stop thinking about Roxas and Xion.

* * *

Xion wanted to talk to someone about Roxas. She needed advice… Well, Axel’s advice, specifically. She felt like she had to talk to him. Back in the castle, Xion searched for him. She was heading for Axel’s room, when she caught a glimpse of a redheaded figure in the hallway. 

“Axel!”

He paused and turned toward her. “You need something?”

Xion ran up to him, but then the slight chill in his words nearly froze her. She could hardly talk. “Well, um… It’s just…”

“If you don’t, I’ve got places to be.” Axel started walking.

She caught his sleeve. “I just— There’s something wrong with Roxas. You don’t know why, do you?”

Axel looked at her again.

Xion gathered her courage and kept going. “He says the Keyblade wears him out now when he goes to use it. And suddenly, I find myself fighting the same way he does…” She was trying, but she couldn’t quite explain it.

Axel heaved a sigh. “Well, you know him better than me.”

“Why would you say that?” Xion stared up at him. It still felt like he was speaking coldly to her. But she didn’t understand what he was getting at, and she had to ask.

“Well, what do you think, Xion?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Not sure, huh? Is that because you’re just a puppet?”

She gasped at that word.

“Come on, don’t look shocked,” Axel went on. “You already know you’re a replica. A puppet whose original purpose was to duplicate Roxas’s powers. If he’s getting weaker, and you’re getting stronger, maybe you’re taking a little more than you oughta be.”

He didn’t gloss over anything. Confronted with the plain truth, she looked away. “…What should I do, then?” she mumbled at the floor. She didn’t have the answer.

“You gotta think for yourself. ‘Cause I know you’re not just a puppet.” Axel took hold of her shoulders, and she turned up to him again. There was sincerity in his eyes and kindness. “We’re best friends. You, me, and Roxas, that is. Got it memorized?”

“Yeah.” Xion nodded. Riku probably would have told her the same. “Um, Axel, can I ask you one other thing?” she said.

He let go of her. “What’s that?”

“I saw a boy today who looks just like Roxas…”

Surprise registered on Axel’s face for a moment.

“Is he…who I think he is?” Xion asked. “Was that boy…Sora?”

Axel folded his arms and said nothing.

“Am I just—? I mean, is copying Roxas’s power all I do?”

“…I can’t answer that for you, either.”

“Oh…” Xion’s gaze dropped again. Her chest felt tight with apprehension.

“Power and memories…” Axel mused.

* * *

Xemnas stood at the top of the Grand Hall in Hollow Bastion’s Castle. Members I-VIII were all gathered around him, now reborn as Nobodies. The large Keyhole of the world was right before them, but it was still sealed without the seven princesses.

If artificial Heartless were defeated, the hearts they released would create an artificial Kingdom Hearts. Every heart captured by the Keyblade would go to this Kingdom Hearts—the power of all hearts. When it was completed, they would unite with it.

_These are the vessels that will be offered to Kingdom Hearts. If the vessels are to fight on the promised day, they will need power._

Xemnas summoned a glowing pair of pink blades knows as ethereal blades. He could no longer wield the Keyblade. So his weapons took the shape of the blades he wielded in his boyhood. The χ-blade was said to be forged via a high-dimensional clash between two opposite poles. Xemnas’s weapons represented those two poles. “Interdiction”. The blades symbolized his authority.

“Now. Call upon your memories. Draw forth a weapon and show me your true worth,” Xemnas commanded the rest of the members. He watched as each member summoned a weapon created from their memories.

Xigbar summoned arrowguns. “Sharpshooter”.

Xaldin, a pair of lances. “Lindworm”.

Lexaeus, an axe sword. “Skysplitter”.

All three had weapons similar to the ones they remembered wielding as castle guards.

Vexen was never a guard and had no combat experience. But he tried his hardest to protect Ienzo throughout the ordeal and summoned a shield. “Frozen Pride”. 

Zexion had no memories of fighting, either. But his intellect was his weapon. He summoned a tome. “Book of Retribution”.

Isa had no weapon of his own. He always used one of Lea’s discs to fight Heartless.

Xehanort had his sights set on Terra as his new vessel because he was strong, like the earth itself. Though well-intentioned, he sought power single-mindedly and fought with equal ferocity. He fought with the intensity of a berserker—a legendary warrior said to be filled with such a lust for battle they were possessed by the spirit of a wolf or bear. His ferocity resembled that of Aced, the bear. 

But Isa was the opposite. He had no such lust for power. He fought only out of the love he had for his friend. It was that love gave his heart tremendous power. However, his body was weak. If the spirit of any animal represented him, it wasn’t a wolf or a bear or even a fox. It was a rabbit. Just a rabbit.

To Xemnas, the weak existed only to feed the strong. The rabbit had no right to exist. Its only purpose was to provide sustenance for stronger creatures. So Isa’s heart was rightfully swallowed and his body became an offering to the Replica. The rabbit was devoured by the werewolf.

As a vessel, he needed to fight. For Nobodies, weapons were created out of the memories of their human lives. The boy’s own heart would become his weapon. Just like Terra’s heart had become Ansem’s.

Terra was imprisoned behind Xehanort, his consciousness—his heart—sealed away. Aqua sank to the Realm of Darkness. Ventus was asleep, dreaming. Terra was in a world of nothingness. A world without Darkness or Light. And that void became pain and sorrow and anger that rushed over him. All he could do was writhe in its grasp. Nothing could spring forth from there. The void only took in grief and suffering. A world where hope and joy could never exist. The place where the Unversed came from. 

In that void, Terra’s captured heart became a weapon. Ansem’s Guardian. His feelings of pain and sorrow manifested as a dark being with large-muscles, yellow eyes, and a heart-shaped chasm in its chest. Its mouth was bound. This being no longer had a voice of its own. 

Isa’s body was weak. However, his heart was strong, due to the powerful feelings he had. Hearts were the source of all power. That heart, which now existed in the void, would be Saïx’s most important weapon. His rage and anguish could be channeled into power.

To be of any worth whatsoever, he’d have to engage in every fight as if it was life or death. He’d have to be filled with so much rage, it would compensate for his lack of raw strength. He would require the power of a berserker. A werewolf. 

Xemnas approached Saïx. “The purpose of your existence is to become stronger. Saïx.”

Xemnas rearranged the letters in his name and added a large X. Isa was now dead and Saix—an alter ego of Xehanort—would now rise up to take his place. 

And so Saïx summoned in his hand a weapon that had the power to call upon the power of the pain in Isa’s captured heart. Usually cool and calm, he would turn into a berserker when he gripped this giant blade in combat. A cursed claymore in the shape of a certain magical rune—his old name:

“Isa”, meaning “Ice”. This weapon kept Isa’s consciousness stuck in a static frozen state, unable to interfere. The large X on the tip glowed with power. “Lunatic”.

Axel received his new name, then summoned a pair of chakrams, based on his memories of the toy discs he fought with. “Eternal Flames”. They took the shape of Chaos. No authority. No objective truth. Absolute freedom.

Lea and Isa always had opposite, though complementary, personalities.

_“Lea, we don’t have time for this.”_

Isa lived his life according to Order. He always tried to make the right decisions. He was trustworthy, obedient to authority, and reliable. On the down side, he often scolded Lea. He was against sneaking inside the castle because it was against the rules. But if they were gonna do it, he figured they should at least stay on task and not goof around. That was just how he was. His personality made him suited to be Xemnas’s right-hand man.

_“Lighten up, Isa. It’ll only take a sec.”_

Lea lived his life in alignment with Chaos. He always resented being told what to do and followed his own set of rules. He did whatever he felt like. He was free-spirited, adaptable, and flexible. On the downside, he could be reckless and irresponsible. His personality made him suited to be Xemnas’s hit man.

As a Nobody, Axel had only one principle to live by. The Rule of Chaos:

_“Do as thou wilt.”_

_There’s no such thing as good or bad,_ _right or wrong._ _There’s only what I want, and what I don’t want. That’s all.  
_

* * *

Xion was back in her room, looking out her window.

_Axel’s always helping me out, so I just assumed he would again. How long has he known about me? Maybe since long before we met in Castle Oblivion._

_But he told me to think for myself. I was so happy. But now, as I get stronger, Roxas keeps getting weaker. I shouldn’t exist anymore. They say that Nobodies were never meant to exist, but I’m the real affront. But before I’m gone, I want to help Roxas and Axel. Even just a little._

_I think the boy I saw today is the same Sora from my memories._

* * *

The next morning, only three of the thirteen chairs were occupied. Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saïx sat in their respective seats.

“Sora has a pretty powerful effect on her,” said Xigbar, pensively stroking his chin.

“Yes, it was not supposed to gain a mind of its own—nor become the person we see.” Xemnas closed his eyes. “But in the end, it only proves that the puppet is the more worthy vessel.”

Saïx studied the two others. _Become the person we see._ Yes, Xion had such a power— transforming in response to the memories of those it encountered. But Saïx himself had only ever seen the blank void of Xion. Not just anyone’s memories would do. It had to be those with some connection to Sora—to the wielder of the Keyblade. Xion would take on a different form based on the memories of anyone bound to him in some way. And to those who had no memories of him at all, Xion would manifest as no more than a puppet. Saïx had to wonder what Xemnas and Xigbar saw when they looked at Xion. He’d done some research into their human pasts, but he found more mysteries than answers.

“The time has come. Saïx, are the devices ready?” Xemnas drawled.

Saïx nodded. “All three will be operable in a matter of days.”

“Good.”

“And what of Roxas?” Saïx inquired.

“Both of them have connections to Sora, but we only need one of them under our thumb,” Xemnas replied. “Whether Xion takes from Roxas the rest of what he has to give…or whether he destroys her first and takes back what is his, there is no change to our plans. No matter how, Sora’s power will belong to us.”

“Understood.”

Xemnas disappeared nearly before he heard his order acknowledged.

“…Well, do your best. The best a kid without a heart can do, anyway,” Xigbar told Saïx. Then he was gone, too.

Alone in the Round Room, Saïx raised his eyes to the high domed ceiling. All they needed was Sora’s power. Everything was proceeding as anticipated. If Xemnas’s plan remained unchanged, then so would his. Still, Saïx saw a potential wrench in the works—Axel and his patently obvious doubts. It might have been a mistake to let him get so close to Roxas and Xion.

Saïx let out a rather human sigh and vanished from the room.

* * *

Axel barely slept a wink thanks to all the thoughts turning in his head. He scowled at the throbbing pain in his temples. These sleep deprivation headaches were awful.

Rather than going back to sleep and getting a lecture, he went to the Grey Area before anyone else and claimed the sofa to keep thinking.

_Xion and Roxas… Memory and power. Sora, the Keyblade master. A replica whose only purpose is to copy another. Back in Castle Oblivion, I met the Replica created from Riku’s memories. Although I’m not sure it’s appropriate to say we met. But I encountered the Replica there—that much is a fact._

_Vexen’s creation had gained Riku’s powers by copying his memories. The copying itself involved Naminé’s abilities as a memory witch. But Vexen always said Naminé’s very existence was an anomaly—meaning the original plan had never accounted for her. There had to be some method of copying memories without Naminé’s power; otherwise, the Replica would have remained an empty shell._

Axel reflected on the operations of the Organization members in Castle Oblivion, extracting memories from Sora and Riku.

_Larxene took them from Sora, and Vexen from Riku, by doing battle and sealing those memories in cards. They gave the cards over to Naminé, who then subtly rewrote the memories stored there before they were returned to Sora and the Riku Replica. So perhaps Naminé’s power was only necessary for the rewriting part. What if copying memories and abilities could be accomplished simply through battle…?_

_Having Xion and Roxas work together, then, let the puppet copy his memories. Memories and power are inextricably entwined, which was how Xion gained Sora’s abilities along with his memories. Last night, I told Xion that she might be borrowing more from Roxas than she needed. But that wasn’t quite right._

_“So do you have any idea_ how _you absorb other people’s powers?”_

_“…I devour their strength by defeating them. That’s what Vexen said.”_

_“Devour, huh…?”_

_I have it memorized, all right. The Riku Replica had another way of gaining strength—completely absorbing an opponent’s powers by destroying them. Knowing that, I goaded the Replica into terminating Zexion. At the time, I believed it necessary._

_Xion is already copying memories from Roxas—or rather, the memories from Sora that Roxas harbors. Not all of them. Not yet. She’s still incomplete. So what will the Organization have her do? Is she going to...devour Roxas until she’s a complete Replica of Sora?_

* * *

Roxas felt awful. He slept fine, but he felt totally exhausted. It took all his strength to drag himself to the lobby.

Saïx was there to meet him and assign a mission. “Roxas. Xaldin hasn’t returned. I’d like you to find him and bring him back. He was assigned to Beast’s Castle.”

“...Okay.”

“Are you feeling well?”

“Yeah. I think I just caught a cold. I’m on my way.”

Saïx remained expressionless as he watched Roxas leave.

Then Xigbar approached. “So, everything’s going according to plan? Maybe it’s about time we put a stop to their little game of make-believe.”

* * *

Axel went to Agrabah today. This time he decided to explore the expansive desert. He looked up at the waning crescent moon in the starry sky. “Ugh, this is so pointless.”

Just then, he saw a short peddler in a turban riding on a camel. “Ah, Salaam and good evening to you, fellow traveler. You are also doing a little treasure hunting, I take it?”

“Something like that,” Axel replied.

“You should stop by my shop later. Perhaps I might have something that interests you. I specialize in the extraordinarily rare.”

“Have you seen anyone else out here tonight?”

“No. Only you.” Then he spotted something. “Ah! Is that...why yes, it is!”

Axel watched the peddler kneel down beside a cactus with a white flower blooming on it.

“There she is. The Queen of the Night. If you take your eyes off her, she will slip away with the moon. An unattainable treasure of nature.”

“Gonna sell it then, huh?”

“Ah, if only! These flowers cannot be purchased. They are truly priceless. They take about a year to bloom and then blossom for only an hour or so and are dead before dawn. They only survive for a single night. They cannot even be picked without dying. Their nocturnal beauty is truly fleeting. They tend to bloom on the day of the Full Moon, so it’s unusual to see one tonight. These flowers are indeed poetic. They have a spectacular but very short lived moment of glory.”

“So...a one hit wonder...”

“Yes. Or more precisely, a one night love affair. A fleeting, but magical moment that will never be forgotten. If only they could be picked! Nobles would pay good money to gift this flower to one of their mistresses. The Queen of Night is also called ‘Beauty under the Moonlight’.”  
  
Axel looked down at the dying flower, and sadly thought of his past.

* * *

Beside the Beast, who had once been a handsome prince, stood a man in a black cloak. “That girl is scheming to take everything you have,” said Xaldin, his hood pulled low to hide his face. “Your castle, your treasures…and then your very life.”

“Belle, betray me? That’s not possible. I trust her!”

“Trust no one. Feed your anger. Only rage will keep you strong!”

The Beast hung his head. “I’ve had enough of strength. There’s only one thing I want…” The Beast gazed, unmoving, at the glass bell jar around a single red rose. Its fleeting power and beauty were slowly slipping away as the Beast's 21st birthday drew nearer. “To love and be loved in return.”

Xaldin now knew exactly what the Beast’s weakness was. The seed had been planted and he vanished.

* * *

Saïx approached Xemnas at the Altar of Naught. “Roxas is getting weaker by the day. I doubt he’ll be of much use at this rate.”

Xemnas smiled just a tiny bit. He raised his arms up as if he were praying. “Lexaeus, Vexen, Zexion, Marluxia, Larxene. So ephemeral was their existence. Those without power are always sacrificed.” 

Saïx scowled, the scar on his brow furrowing as he remembered his past self—weak and useless.

“Will Xion take from Roxas the rest of what he has to give? Or will he destroy her first and get all his power back? The two powers have fallen out of balance. What we need is one complete power... It makes no difference which.”

Saïx was the ultimate utilitarian. If he saw something he could use, he would—and without a second thought. Without a heart, he had no value. He couldn’t have friendship. He couldn’t be loved. But he could still be of use. And he had successfully gained Xemnas’s approval as his right hand man. Thus, he awakened to a new purpose—to become stronger.

He looked up at the heart-shaped moon. He was very powerful now. But he was sick of strength. There was only one thing he wanted. Kingdom Hearts was almost finished and the time was almost here. But he had to wonder if Axel wanted it as badly as he did. Could he really be trusted?


	21. Day 352: Sunset & Day 353: Resolve

“Good morning, Axel.”

“…Xion?” He looked up to find a very gloomy Xion standing there. “So how did you sleep?” he asked with a little smile.

She shrugged and shook her head.

“It’s not like your time is up, you know. You’ve still got a while to think. Got it memorized?”

“I guess so…” she mumbled at the floor.

Axel actually had no idea how much time she had.

“Xion. Your orders for today.”

She turned. “Saïx…”

Saïx looked down his nose at her. “An especially powerful Heartless has been spotted in Halloween Town. Go and eliminate it.”

“Understood.” Xion nodded, just as Roxas came into the lobby.

“Hey, Xion.”

“Good morning.” But she turned away from him.

Roxas didn’t even spare a glance at Axel, like an angry kid giving a friend the silent treatment.

Axel let out a wry laugh under his breath at their childish behavior.

“Listen—” Roxas started.

“Sorry. I have to go.” Xion promptly cut him off and stepped into the Corridors of Darkness.

Roxas hung his head, the picture of dejection.

 _And he still looks like he’ll keel over any second_ , Axel thought. _I just told Xion she had some time, but maybe she really doesn’t._

Saïx had noticed the exchange, too. He flicked a glance toward Axel and then turned to Roxas. “How are you feeling, Roxas?”

“…Same as always.”

Saïx smirked at the reply—and a chill ran through Axel at how vicious it was. “I have an urgent mission especially for you and your Keyblade. There’s a fearsome Heartless that’s surfaced in Halloween Town.”

_That was the location of Xion’s mission, too. Something is weird about this._

“I was hoping you might exterminate it for us,” Saïx went on.

“Yup, got it!” Roxas chirped.

Axel couldn’t hold it in. “Whoa, whoa, whoa— Roxas, are you sure you’re up to that?”

Roxas shot him a nasty look. “Why wouldn’t I be?” he muttered, turning his back.

“It’s just, lately you—”

“Shouldn’t you already be out on your mission, Axel?” Saïx interrupted.

 _Mission? Saïx hasn’t given me my assignment yet._ Axel blinked up at him, and Saïx stared back. _Oh._ Axel felt a little bit sorry for Saïx who couldn’t tell a lie to save his life.

“I better go. See you, Axel.” Roxas left, disappearing into the corridors as abruptly as Xion had.

“…You planning to get in the way again?” Saïx complained.

“In the way of what? Of who?” Axel retorted, still staring at the empty space where Roxas’s portal swirled into nothing.

“In the way of us. _I_ trust you.”

 _He said that exactly like he would if he had a heart._ Axel let out a low chuckle. “Yeah? Because your heart tells you to?”

“Just the memory of it. But if you continue to interfere, I’ll have to overwrite that memory with everything I’ve learned as a Nobody.”

“…That sounds like a threat.”

“More or less. Keep it in mind.” Finished with the conversation, Saïx walked away.

Axel didn’t move for a while. He was enraptured in thought, staring out the window of the lobby at the heart-shaped moon. For some reason, his thoughts drifted back to Castle Oblivion. To Naminé. A girl so similar to Xion.

_“Is that your shield? Won’t do you any good, I’m afraid. I don’t mind eliminating her as well.”_

_Back then I never questioned things. I was willing to do anything so I didn’t have to lose him. Whatever harm befell anyone else, whether they lived or died, it didn’t matter to me. Only my best friend mattered. I guess looking back, I...I was selfish._

He remembered what Sora asked him after he mercilessly eliminated Vexen.

_“What are you— What ARE you people?!”_

_“Hm. Not sure. I wonder about that myself.”_

_Xion left because she wanted to know who she was. But I could ask myself the same thing. Who am I?_

_“What is it with you and picking up stray puppies?”_

_I used to be the one who...picks up stray puppies. Like Roxas and Xion._

_“What were you like before you were a Nobody?”_

_“Huh? Me? Oh, I dunno. I think I’ve always been pretty much the same.”_

_Today, he threatened me for the first time. A while ago, he told me I changed. Maybe I have changed. But deep down, I don’t think I did. One thing’s for sure, though. He did._

_“I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.”_

_I...didn’t want him to go away. I couldn’t bear to lose him. I didn’t want him to exist only in my memories. That’s why I took that choice away from him. It’s why I’ve been working so hard all these years, doing the organization’s dirty work. But maybe, despite all my efforts, that’s exactly what happened anyway. The Isa I remember...is already gone. He has been for a long time. I’ve already lost him. I just didn’t want to accept it._

_The old Isa was selfless. He would have sacrificed himself before he’d ask me to harm a kid. Now he’s the one telling me to eliminate one of them. It’s the total opposite of before._

_I’ve eliminated so many people for the sake of our goal. But I don’t think I can bring myself to stand by as Roxas and Xion are eliminated. They’re just innocent kids. Just like us back then. It’s...not right._

_Right. Wrong._

_I didn’t understand why Isa was so insistent on doing what was he thought was right back then. Why he’d choose to leave me behind just to do the right thing. He chose his principles over his best friend. I...thought he was being selfish. But now, I think I finally understand how he must have felt. He didn’t want me to hurt people for his sake. Isa didn’t want me to change._

After a long time being conflicted, Axel knew what he had to do.

* * *

Axel tossed his chakram, cutting through the mist. “Stop, both of you!” He leaped in between Xion and Roxas.

The mist cleared, and Roxas was standing there, along with Xion.

“Xion?!” he exclaimed.

“Roxas? What are you doing here?” Xion realized there was no Heartless to be found. Had she been fighting one at all? “The Heartless I was just fighting—that was you?” Cold sweat beaded on her skin. Her chest twinged.

“This mission was a setup. It was rigged so you two would battle each other,” said Axel. "They must have rigged the fog to make it show you illusions."

“Huh…?” The Keyblade fell from Roxas’s limp hand and winked out. If Axel hadn’t jumped in to stop him, then he would have…

Xion looked at the ground.

“Why would they do that?” Roxas murmured.

“We’ll figure it out later. Hey, since we’re all together…why don’t we get out of here and have some ice cream? We haven’t in ages.” A tiny smile came to Axel’s face.

“But—” Xion began.

Axel interrupted her with a look and clapped Roxas on the back. “C’mon, how about it?”

“Y-yeah. Okay,” Roxas stammered.

“Xion’s coming, too. Right?” This time Axel patted her shoulder.

“…Right.”

Axel opened the Corridors of Darkness, and they all headed in together.

* * *

The sunset was dazzlingly bright. Roxas squinted and took a bite of ice cream.

“Ooh, brain freeze,” Xion mumbled, then chuckled sheepishly.

Roxas smiled back at her. “Been a while since we all hung out like this, huh?”

“Well, we’ve had our share of drama lately,” said Axel, making sure to sound as cheerful as possible for the sake of his two friends. _This...might be the last time we ever sit here like this._ “Oh, hey, I just remembered…” Axel idly kicked his dangling feet against the ledge. “Did you guys know you should be checking your ice cream sticks?”

“Really? For what?” asked Xion.

“Once you finish your ice cream bar, check the stick. It might say ‘Winner.’ He took a bite and smiled nostalgically at his blank stick. “Not that I’ve ever seen one myself.” 

“Wait a second...Oh!” Roxas blurted.

Axel looked nonplussed. “What is it?”

“Uh—it’s n-nothing,” said Roxas. “So then what happens when you win?” 

“I’ll tell ya… That’s a good question.” Axel shrugged.

“What, you don’t even know?” Roxas teased him.

“Well, it’s gotta be something good, if you’re a ‘winner,’ right?”

“Cool…”

“Hee-hee-hee.” Xion giggled at Roxas’s prodding.

He and Axel both looked at her.

“You two are so close,” she remarked and turned her gaze out to the sky. “Wow. The sun sure is beautiful…” 

At the sincere admiration in her voice, Roxas and Axel looked out at the horizon, too. The sun turned red as it sank, painting the whole world in the same warm crimson as so many days before.

“I know we’ve seen a lot of sunsets, but today’s puts them all to shame. If only things could stay like this forever...”

Axel glanced at her wistful profile and turned his head away sadly.

“Say...what if we all ran off?” Roxas mused.

“What?” Xion looked at him in surprise. 

“Then we could always be together.”

Axel said nothing. _If I ran away, I’d have to abandon him. I could never do that. There’s no way I could ever go. Even with Roxas and Xion..._

“We don’t have any place to run.” Xion shook her head.

Axel looked away and sighed.

“I know,” he mumbled. “I was just thinking out loud.” 

Axel suddenly broke his silence. “What’s important isn’t that we hang out with each other every day—”

“—As long as we keep each other in our thoughts, we’ll never be apart,” Xion finished. “Right?” Axel’s encouragement from ages ago echoed in her head. “Don’t worry, Axel. We’ve got your hokey speech memorized.” Xion grinned at him.

“Good. Just checking.” Looking at the sunset rather than her, Axel munched his ice cream.

“I’ll have these moments memorized for a long time,” said Xion. “Forever.”

“Me too. Forever...” Roxas added.

Axel basked in the sunset’s glow.

* * *

It had been a few weeks since the boys reunited, though Isa still didn’t remember a thing. For now, they spent their days peacefully doing odd jobs around town and staying in a hotel. Today, their job was to deliver letters. It was now the end of the day and the sun was setting.  
  
“So, the job’s over. That means it’s dessert time now, right?”

“Hahaha! Yeah, you worked really hard today, so you earned a little reward. Ice cream again, right?”

“Yeah. The blue ice cream is really salty, so I didn’t think I’d like it. But it’s actually really sweet, too. It’s my favorite.”

Lea was holding in a laugh. 

“Wh-what? What’s so funny?”

“It’s just that you’re revealing your age. You try to act like an adult, but you’re still a little kid with that sweet tooth.” Lea teasingly pat him on the head.

“H-hey, I’m not childish!” His feathers were somewhat ruffled, just like a kid.

“No, no, you’re right. You’re not childish just ‘cause you love sweet stuff. Just a little girly.”

“Oh, so you’re saying you’re too _manly_ for ice cream?”

“Well, I didn’t say that.”

The elderly lady at the shop watched as they laughed, exchanging banter. “Back again today, I see. You two are so close.”

They two boys exchanged a glance. Then they bought their ice creams and made their way to the usual spot, the top of the clock tower.

When they sat down, Isa sat with his legs crossed. Lea was swinging his legs restlessly, like a little kid. 

“Hey, be careful. If you keep that up, you’ll fall.”

“Puh-lease! I’m not gonna fall! I’ll be fine!” 

Isa was always scolding him, almost like a mom would with their son. It was nice to have someone looking out for him, though. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders for so long. For the longest time, he’d been sad and lonely and anxious.

The two sat beside each other quietly eating. Sitting in silence with anyone else would be unbearably awkward, but with Isa, he didn’t mind. It was nice, actually, sitting side by side and not saying anything. Because they were inseparable. Isa’s presence beside him was so serene and tranquil. It was his rock of stability. He had only realized how much he depended on that rock after he lost it. Today, he was so happy. Happier than he’d been in ages.

“This sure is a sleepy little town, huh? Doesn’t seem like anything ever happens here,” Lea said after a while. 

“You don’t like it here?”

“No...it’s not that.” Lea gazed out at sunset, beautiful as always. “It’s just that we’ve been doing the same thing every day.”

“I guess...”

“There’s only so much time we have in life, so I don’t wanna waste it.” Still riding the highs of his happy mood, he smiled widely. “I want to live life to the fullest and make every day something to remember.”

Lea was so bold and full of life, and Isa felt like he was being drawn in by his infectious energy.

“Ya know, now that I think about it, that’s probably why I never liked school,” Lea continued. “You just sit around all day studying, being told what to do. The only good part is summer vacation.” He enunciated his words with exaggerated arm movements. “Once summer starts, you’re fiiiiinally free! But only for a month. I swear, it’d always go by so damn fast, then it’s back to the grind. And when people grow up, they don’t even get summer vacation. They have to do the same old boring crap. Every. Single. Day. I never wanted to live like that.”

Isa thought about it for a little bit. “Well, growing up isn’t _completely_ bad. Things are more stable, right? Adults have a home and a family.” He looked down below at a couple walking by. A husband and wife holding hands as they entered the train station. “Someone who won’t ever leave them.”

What Isa said reminded him of what he’d said before. He thought he wanted to stay a kid because he didn’t want things to change. Growing up meant growing apart. But maybe adulthood was when things would stay the same. 

“Ya know, you’re wise beyond your years.”

“I think you’re just immature, Lea.”

“Yeah, okay. Says the kid obsessed with sweets...”

The conversation trailed off as the two began eating again.

Lea turned his head and noticed his companion was lost in thought. “Something on your mind?”

“I was just...thinking about what you said. You know, about living life to the fullest. I can’t bring back the past. But I still have the future.” He sounded very bright and positive.

“That’s right! You can start over! We’ve got our whole future ahead of us! Speaking of the future, we can’t stay in a hotel forever, so we gotta decide what we’re gonna do from now on.”

“You said you found me by that old mansion, right?” He recalled the white-haired scientist asking for his name. “What if they’re trying to find me? They’ll...make me go back with them.”

 _That’s true. There’s probably someone looking for him. And it’s not like we can go back to Radiant Garden, either._ _They’ll definitely take him away if he goes back there. So we can’t go home. Ever._ “Then...let’s run away together.”

“...What?” Lea’s response felt a little out of the blue, and he didn’t know how to respond.

“Yeah!” Lea enthusiastically slammed his fist on his other hand. “It’s the perfect plan! We’ll just find a place where we can start our new lives!”

“...Then what’ll we do?”

“Whatever we want! C’mon, use your imagination a little! The two of us could just hang out all the time and have fun! Doesn’t that sound awesome? We’ll have nothing to tie us down. We could do anything!” Lea was smiling, off in his own world.

A flock of gulls flew by, free as could be.

“Hmm. I wouldn’t mind starting a new life. Only one problem.”

“What’s that?”

“I’d have to live with _you_. So I have mixed feelings.” Isa gave him a playful smile.

Lea laughed. It was his sincerest wish...to always be together. Whether it was fun or boring, to do everything with his best friend and to keep laughing forever. “C’mon. Don’t lie. It’s the best idea you’ve ever heard, isn’t it?”

“Weeeeell. I’ll guess I’ll go with you.”

“Then it’s decided. From now on, we’re gonna make up for all the memories you’ve lost. So. Let’s make our days something to remember.” Lea thought back to their promise. _Back then, I wasn’t sure we’d ever get the chance. But it looks like we will._ “Oh, I know! I know! Let’s go to the beach!” He got up on his feet and was practically shouting.

“Hey, easy.” Isa was slightly worried that he’d lose his balance, but he smiled at Lea’s enthusiastic outburst.

“As soon as we save up a bit of munny, let’s go to the beach! It’ll be so much fun, trust me! Then afterwards, we’ll get on the train and find somewhere to go. We’ll start our new lives.”

While Lea was daydreaming about the future, Isa finally finished his ice cream. “Hey, there’s something written on my stick.”

Lea crouched down. “Whooooa! Cool! It says ‘Winner’ on it! I’ve never seen one of those before!”

“So, what did I win?”

“Beats me. But it’s a winner. It’s gotta be something good, right? I bet it’s, like, a special prize! Oh, what if it’s a free vacation!? Inside the train station I saw this poster talking about the Seaside Festival!”

On the way home, they stopped back at the shop. Isa held out his stick to the shopkeeper. “Excuse me, ma’am. What’s this mean?”

“Why, look at that, you’re a winner! Congratulations!”

“What’d he win?” Lea blurted out impatiently.

“You get another ice cream, on the house! Lucky you!”

 _...That’s it?_ Lea thought, but kept it to himself. _Well, I guess HE’S probably happy..._ “You can’t eat all that ice cream in one day, ya know. You’ll get a stomach ache.” _Now I’m the one sounding like a parent._

“Yeah, you’re right...”

“You can just use it tomorrow, sweetheart,” the shop lady suggested.

 _I know. I’ll use it to treat Lea tomorrow, as a reward._ “All right.” He slipped the stick in his pocket. 

The two walked away. As soon as they were out of earshot, Lea complained. “All that hype, just for a free ice cream bar? Laaaame! I was hoping it was something valuable.”

Isa simply shrugged.

“Oh, well. We’ll have to keep saving up for a while so we can go have our little vacation.”

* * *

Axel tossed and turned in bed. Another sleepless night. He slowly got up and went towards the mirror to wash up and get himself ready for the day. Thoughts of Xion still plagued his mind.

_“Hmph. You’ve changed. Your own darkness—it doesn't frighten you anymore.”_

_“How can you tell?”_

_“Because I’m you.”_

_“No, I’M me.”_

_“‘I’m me,’ he says. Must be nice being real. A fake like me could never get away with saying that. That’s right, I’m a phony, a fake! The way I look, the way I feel, everything I remember! And even this newfound power! I thought by finding some new strength, I could finally be someone—someone who is not at all you! But...nothing changes... I’m still just empty! Everything about me is borrowed. As long as you’re around, I’ll never be more than a shadow!”_

_The fake Riku was a replica. But what does that mean exactly? What relationship does a replica really have to the real thing?  
_

He looked up at his own reflection in the mirror. Same face as ever. Was he still the same person he was as a human? Nobodies born of someone with a strong heart retained their original shape, with but the faintest visible changes. In Axel’s case, the only difference was the upside-down tear marks under his eyes. 

_If I had to make a comparison, I’d say it’s like a mirror. The replica was a mirror that copied the original Riku’s powers and abilities. But also a shadow that mirrored his inner darkness and weakness back at him._

Axel thought back to Vexen’s report. He remembered the passage about Xion’s creation.

_“Whilst the hero of light was journeying throughout the worlds, the organization kept a close eye on his whereabouts. In the world of Neverland, Riku was under the influence of Ansem Seeker of Darkness, otherwise known as Xehanort’s Heartless. He demonstrated a most unusual ability. He was able to extract Sora’s shadow from his heart. This unusual entity was indeed a Replica of the original Sora. It began as a featureless shadow of him, all black. Eventually, this shadow puppet took on more features—yellow eyes and a permanent smile fixed on its face. It was even able to wield a Replica of the Keyblade. This power would serve to benefit the organization greatly._

_Xemnas was able to acquire this Shadow Replica—Anti-Sora, if you will—and bring it back to Castle Oblivion. Thus, we embarked upon the Replica Program to ensure our new power stayed ours. After countless tests, I have finally completed it. I have turned a puppet into a receptacle for copied abilities—a Replica. Experiment ‘No. i’ is possibly my greatest masterpiece. Now, our shadow puppet lives. With this Replica, we should be able to duplicate the hero’s powers. If it can continue to absorb the hero’s memories, it will become a full and complete Replica of Sora.”_

Xion was Sora’s shadow. And Axel knew enough about shadows, after his time being experimented on. The Heartless were the shadows of the people that lost their hearts during the experiments. Vexen had written a lot about this subject.

_“Indeed shadows are composed of the darkness lurking in our hearts. The shadow is not, however, only the dark underside of the personality. It also consists of instincts, abilities, and even positive moral qualities that have long been buried or never been conscious. It is our entire subconscious. Hidden or unconscious aspects of oneself, which the ego has either repressed or never recognized. These unacknowledged personal characteristics are often experienced in others through the mechanism of projection. The shadow, in being instinctive and irrational, is prone to psychological projection, in which a perceived personal inferiority is recognized as a perceived moral deficiency in someone else. When the shadow self is kept hidden in the background, suppressed, and not fully integrated, it can manifest itself in negative ways.”_

_The shadow is the unconscious. Anything someone doesn’t want to admit to or is unaware of. Vexen fought Riku, gathered his data, and acquired his shadow, just like Riku did in Neverland. Then he put it inside his manufactured doll—creating the Riku Replica._

_“So you're a fake me.”_

_“Not a ‘fake’! I don’t care if you’re ‘real’! You’re not better! We share the same body and the same talents. But there is one easy way to tell us apart, though! Unlike you, I fear nothing.”_

_“Are you calling me a coward?”_

_“You’re afraid of the dark! The darkness inside you still frightens you, no matter what you say.”_

_“Grr...”_

_“But I’M different. I embrace the darkness. I can make it do whatever I want.”_

_Riku was_ _unable to admit to himself that he was afraid of the dark. These suppressed thoughts and feelings became part of his shadow. And that suppressed fear was reflected back at him through his replica, a mirror image of himself. Xion is the same. She’s a mirror that reflects Roxas...well, more specifically, Sora._

_Riku Replica was wearing those clothes. He looked the same way Riku did when he embraced the darkness in Hollow Bastion. That makes sense. But why does Xion look like Kairi if she was created from Sora’s shadow?_

_Perhaps once Sora forgot about Kairi in Castle Oblivion, those memories became a part of his shadow—his unconscious self.  
_

_But why make her fight Roxas? That’s what I don’t get.  
_

_Naminé is Kairi’s Nobody and her shadow. But Roxas isn’t Sora’s shadow. Xion is. So then, what IS Roxas? Why is he Sora’s Nobody? And why does he look just like Ventus?_

* * *

Xigbar strolled into the lobby at a leisurely pace. He sat down on the sofa and crossed his legs. “Roxas and Xion were supposed to fight yesterday. Seems like Axel interfered.”

Saïx turned his back, scowling. It wasn’t a shock that Axel meddled, but to hear that news from Xigbar was bothersome.

Upon seeing his reaction, Xigbar’s lips twisted into a smirk.

_“Come on, don’t look shocked. You already know you’re a replica. A puppet whose original purpose was to duplicate Roxas’s powers. If he’s getting weaker, and you’re getting stronger, maybe you’re taking a little more than you oughta be.”_

_“…What should I do, then?”_

_“You gotta think for yourself. ‘Cause I know you’re not just a puppet. We’re best friends. You, me, and Roxas, that is. Got it memorized?”_

“Ya know, I overheard Axel talkin’ to Xion the other day. He said they’re best friends. Ain’t that cute? That must be why he intervened.”

“...How ridiculous,” Saïx muttered, not showing any trace of caring one way or the other.

He thought of Axel, and his upside-down tear marks. _That crybaby joined the organization because he needed me. Because he couldn’t bear to lose his best friend._

_He really has changed._

_He’s grown up and made new best friends. He takes them to our spot, and laughs alongside them. And now he doesn’t need me anymore._  
  
He scowled, the scar on his brow deeply wrinkling.

_It doesn’t matter._

“By the way, I have a request,” Xigbar said in his usual friendly way.

Saïx turned around to face him.

“I’d like to go on a mission today with Axel and Xion. That okay with you?”

Saïx had no idea what Xigbar had in mind. But he was a higher rank than himself. He had to obey if he wanted to gain favor with Xemnas.

“Do what you want.”

 _Axel doesn’t need me. And I don’t need him with me anymore, either. I’ll gain power on my own_. _I have changed as well. I’m no longer a child. I’m not powerless. I don’t need him to hold my hand and walk me everywhere like I did back then.  
  
_ As he gazed at the heart-shaped moon lingering outside the window, a certain shameful memory resurfaced, but he did his best to immediately push it back down.

* * *

A few years before Lea decided to sneak into the castle, he was strolling through Radiant Garden.

“Man, I am SOOO bored,” he complained as he stretched.

He noticed a lone boy sitting on the ledge of the fountain in the main plaza, his nose deep in a book. Lea was going to simply pass by, but for some reason he couldn’t take his eyes off the boy. He had seen him around before. He was always alone. Very quiet, too. Lea had never seen him talk to anybody. And likewise, nobody ever talked to him, either.

So, bored as he was, he decided to approach him. “Hey. Whatcha doin’?”

The boy slowly looked up from his book. “Studying,” he said, then immediately looked back down.

But Lea persisted. “What? But it’s summer vacation!”

“So what?” He sounded a little bit cold.

“Don’t you think you’ll regret it later? We only get thirty days of freedom! And you’re gonna waste ‘em by sitting around doing nothing?” Lea asked, half-laughing.

“I’m not _wasting_ anything. I’m doing homework.” As far as he was concerned, he was being productive, spending his time wisely.

 _Sheesh. He’s so serious. He needs to lighten up._ Lea sat down next to him, trying to keep the mood light and breezy. “Ugh, homework is the worst. That’s why I save it all for the end, just before school starts back up. On my days off, I’d rather be moving around and doing something. If I sit still too long, I think too much about stuff.” He was swinging his legs restlessly.

The blue-haired boy didn’t say anything. _What’s wrong with thinking about stuff? Did he come here_ _just to tell me I’m boring? All the boys at school are like this. Whatever, I don’t care. Just leave me alone._

Judging by his body language, Lea could tell that the boy was closing himself off even more. He didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to ask, “I was wonderin’. Wanna play with me? I’ve been looking for a partner.” He held out a pair of frisbees.

“Play?” He sounded taken aback.

 _Oh, brother. Don’t tell me you never play._ “Yeah. I mean, if you want.”

“Oh. O-okay...sure.” He carefully set his book down and stood up.

“Here, heads up!” Lea tossed his disc.

The other boy ran and caught it—barely. When it came time to return it, though, he clumsily fumbled it and it landed it the fountain. “S-sorry... I’m not really good at this,” he trailed off. _I messed up. I’m sure now he won’t wanna play with me anymore. I don’t care. I’m 13. I’m too old to play like this, anyways._

“Here. I’ll show you how. Watch me.”

The two played for a few hours and, with a bit of instruction, he became surprisingly good at both throwing and catching. Still, he was pretty quiet and Lea had to do most of the talking. 

“Nice one! See? You’re a natural! Hey, thanks for playing with me! I was pretty bored by myself, so I’m glad I didn’t have to spend the day alone!”

 _It’s getting late. He seems like he’s about to go home now._ He took a deep breath. “Do you...think it’d be okay if we played again tomorrow, too?” he finally asked, unable to make eye contact.

Lea couldn’t help but feel a bit proud of himself for being able to pry open such a tightly closed shell. “Of course! Gotta make sure you do something besides homework all break! What’s your name?”

“Isa,” he said, looking him in the eye.

“I’m Lea. Got it memorized?”

Isa nodded, smiling a tiny bit. That was the first time Lea saw him smile. He really didn’t have any other friends. After that day, he started following Lea everywhere, just like a stray puppy. It was a little surprising to Lea at first, but he didn’t mind, really. It wasn’t long before the two became best friends. Inseparable.

* * *

Axel walked the hallways, trying to sort out his thoughts. He shook his head slowly to dispel the grogginess, but it persisted as he combed through yesterday’s events.

_The Organization wanted to have either Roxas or Xion eliminated. I’m thinking about what I should do, what I want to do. I want to find a way to save both of them, to respect both of their wishes. I spent most of the night poring over the possibilities, but of course I haven’t found the answer._

“It seems you chose the selfish course of action,” said a voice behind him.

Axel stopped short. He hadn’t even noticed Saïx’s presence. “Sorry, did you say something?” He turned with a slight smirk.

“We don’t need them both. Just one. And pretending won’t change it.”

 _We, who?_ Axel wanted to ask, but he held it in, along with a bitter laugh. _We—Is ‘we’ the Organization itself? Or is ‘we’ just Saïx and me? I don’t really know any more._

“Think about that.”

 _Oh, I am. I’m thinking so hard I’m sick of it._ _I’m thinking so hard that I just want you to tell me the answer._ The words nearly escaped him, but Saïx was already walking toward the Grey Area. The set of his shoulders told him plainly what the answer would be.

_It’s just like that back is rejecting me. And I’m realizing that my memories of the past are too different from what I’m seeing now._

_Who am I doing all this for? Saïx? Or is it...my memories? Does the person from my memories even exist anymore? I’m not sure._

_I always hoped that once Kingdom Hearts was finished, things would go back to how they were. But the truth is, I don’t anymore._

Axel couldn’t lie to himself anymore. He didn’t want Saïx. He wanted someone else. He longed to be with the person from his memories. But that person was gone. 

_Why the hell am I even here? What am I trying to accomplish? I don’t really know any more. What the hell do I want to do?_

Eventually, Axel trailed after Saïx to the lobby.

“Hey, copper top. Shall we?”

He had not expected Xigbar to call out to him. “Shall we what?” Axel blinked at him.

“Oh. Why don’t you tell him, Poppet?” Xigbar ceded the floor to Xion, who stood behind him with her hood pulled up.

_Why is she hiding her face now, I wonder?_

“We’re a team today,” said Xion. “You, me, and Xigbar.”

Axel automatically glanced at Saïx in the middle of the lobby. He was watching them with no comment. _This is an unlikely trio for a mission. There has to be a reason for this._

“What, afraid I’ll slow you down?” Xigbar laughed.

“‘Course not,” Axel replied with a shrug. “It’s just not every day we get to go out for a stroll with number two himself. Ain’t that right, Xion?”

“Yeah,” Xion replied. Her hood hid any expression she might have had.

“Hey, why’s your hood up today?” Axel wondered.

“…I couldn’t sleep. My eyes look like a raccoon’s.” Her voice was tiny and shy.

Axel couldn’t have said why that answer rang warning bells. But it did.

“Better respect the girl’s privacy, ha-ha.” Xigbar offered an unconvincing laugh.

“…Morning, guys.” They all turned in unison to see Roxas at the lobby’s entrance.

Saïx replied first. “A bit late, aren’t you?”

“Sorry. Couldn’t sleep…” Roxas looked away and then went towards Xion and Axel. “Are the three of us teamed up today?”

“You’re alone for your mission, Roxas,” Saïx told him before Xion could answer.

“I can’t trade with Xigbar or something?” Roxas was still pretty exhausted, but he didn’t think he needed the extra help or anything. After yesterday, he simply wanted to spend time with his friends again.

Saïx responded to that innocuous question in an unnecessarily harsh way. “What an extraordinarily childish notion. So you can’t do anything if Axel isn’t with you? Do you need him to walk you everywhere now?”

Where had THAT come from? Roxas bit his lip and looked at the floor. “No...I didn’t—Never mind.”

_I want to say something, but even if I did it probably wouldn’t do anything. It’s more important that I find out the hidden motive to today’s mission._

“They can handle their mission. You hurry up and see to your own.”

“…Right,” Roxas mumbled.

“Well, time for us to get moving, huh?” Xigbar slung an overly familiar arm around Axel’s shoulders. “Bye now, kiddo.”

“See you later, Roxas,” said Xion.

Roxas acknowledged each one with a nod.

“Go easy on yourself. Don’t push yourself too much, okay?” Axel told him.

Roxas looked up and managed a faint smile.

 _Huh, maybe ‘interfering’ yesterday did a little something to clear my name in his mind…_ Axel followed Xion and Xigbar into the Corridors of Darkness.

* * *

The mission was completely routine, nothing that warranted sending a team of three. Axel covered Xion and Xigbar as they traipsed through the forest of Wonderland. Most of this world seemed to consist of a peculiar palace garden and a forest with uncomfortably vivid colors.

He knew from his time in Castle Oblivion that Sora met a girl named Alice here in this world. Her curiosity led her to chase a white rabbit and she eventually wound up at the castle, where she was confined and put on trial. Wonderland was a topsy-turvy world where nothing made sense. In a way, Axel could relate to her predicament.

Xion still had her hood pulled up.

 _Something feels off, but I can’t put my finger on what. The fight yesterday had something to do with Xion’s abilities. Every time I try to figure it all out, I get so wound up. I’m constantly on edge, and my thoughts go in circles._ _I stop knowing what I want to do, what I should do._

“Look at our Poppet go. Save some for us!” Xigbar grinned, watching Xion fight, and turned to Axel. “Right, copper top?”

“Yeah, it’s almost like there’s no reason for you to be here,” said Axel, unable to completely mask his sarcasm.

Xigbar doubled over with laughter as if Axel had just invented snide remarks. “Ha-ha, oh man, can’t get anything past you! I’m only tagging along ‘cos I wanted to. And ladder climbers let a bigwig like me do whatever he wants.”

 _Ladder climbers._ _That would refer to Saïx._ Axel kept quiet, hoping Xigbar would talk more. _Xigbar has probably sussed out that me and Saïx are up to something, so he’s thinking he’ll follow us around until someone lets it spill._

“What, don’t you trust me? I’ll tell you something you want to know.” Xigbar flung his arm around Axel’s shoulders again, this time leaning close to whisper. “You know, about the puppet. Or should we say the Replica?”

Startled, Axel looked at him.

Xigbar’s usual annoying smirk revealed nothing as he continued. “Our precious in-house puppet is the new model. Much improved over the previous version you saw back in Castle Oblivion. It doesn’t just copy; it can soak up an opponent’s memories and powers without even having to destroy them first. And it came with a nice little bonus of transforming based on the memories of whoever’s looking at it.”

“…What?” Axel felt cold sweat trickle down his back.

“Don’t believe me? Watch this. Hey, Poppet!” Xigbar called to her.

“Yes?” Xion left off plowing through Heartless.

“Don’t you want to put your hood down?” Xigbar reached for her hood.

He had barely touched it before she turned her Keyblade on him.

“Xion?!” Axel yelped as she sent Xigbar flying.

The blowback caught her hood and flung it off for an instant. Standing there, Axel saw—

“Pa-ha-ha! Talk about a blast from the past!” Xigbar let out a bark of laughter as he got to his feet. “Of all the faces… Why do I see yours?”

_Who did Xigbar see? And why do you look like him to me?_

“Do you always have to stare at me like I just drowned your goldfish?” Xigbar remarked.

_“Who are you…?”_

_“You think you two have got some grand role to play. As if. You’re only here so that when I finish you off, Terra will succumb to the darkness. So…who wants to go first?”_

_“Shut up!”_

_“Oh, so this kiddo thinks he’s a full-fledged Keyblade wielder? He’s got the angry look down.”_

_“Go ahead, if you wanna waste your time. Keep trying to drive us apart with your mind games. It’ll never work!”_

While looking at Xion, it occurred to Xigbar that he was doing the same thing to Axel and Saïx as he did to _him_. The whole reason for today’s mission was a set up to get some dirt on Axel. Then, once he opened his mouth, Xigbar could report back to Saïx. And once Saïx learned that Axel was spilling the beans, that would be the final nail in the coffin. His trust in Axel would be thoroughly destroyed.

Xion charged. When they clashed, Xigbar was slammed into the ground. Her shoulders heaved as she clutched the Keyblade, and then she turned to Axel. “I’m sorry, Axel… I can’t stay with the Organization anymore. I can’t be near Roxas.”

“You mean it?” Axel said, bewildered. I can’t make a snap decision like this.

“Please let me go. I have to do this or else…” Xion deliberately lowered her hood. “Look.”

He gasped. It was the same as the glimpse he had moments ago. _Sora._

“Please, Axel. You have to take care of Roxas.”

“But how are you…gonna…?” he faltered. _I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know how to protect Roxas._

“Please!” She was begging now, on the verge of tears.

Axel nodded, keeping his head down.

“Thank you, Axel.” Xion smiled—but it was Sora’s face—and pulled her hood up again to hide her mutable face.

“Xion…” he called.

She vanished into the Corridors of Darkness without turning back.

* * *

“Explain yourself, Axel,” Saïx was saying as he confronted Axel in the hallway.

“The old man needs to get his eyes checked. She just got away,” Axel retorted, although he wasn’t making eye contact.

“I’ll give him that. Can’t toss the blame around,” Xigbar added, nonchalant.

“…What’s going on?”

The other three all turned to Roxas at once, falling quiet in a way that couldn’t possibly bode well.

“And now we’re left with the one we can’t use,” Saïx spat before stalking off.

Roxas looked at Axel. “Did something happen? Where’s Xion?”

Axel avoided his gaze and said nothing.

“She flew the coop.” Xigbar jabbed his thumb at Axel. “Flamesilocks here couldn’t trouble himself to clip her wings.”

“What does he mean, Axel?” Roxas said desperately. But Axel still wouldn’t even look at him.

“Your friend sat there sucking his thumb while Xion walked right off,” said Xigbar. “…I’m going back to my room.” He promptly left Roxas and Axel to themselves.

A strained silence fell between them.

“What happened out there?” Roxas demanded.

Axel shook his head. “Nothing, really.”

He wasn’t acting normal at all, and Roxas had had enough of this evasive nonsense. “‘Nothing?’ Xion’s gone! How can that be nothing?”

“It’s just like Xigbar said.” Finally, Axel looked at him. “I just sat there sucking my thumb and watching Xion run away.”

“I’m asking you WHY you did that, and you know it,” Roxas cried as he walked in front of Axel. That was all he wanted to know—why.

He was backed into a corner now. “Xion is like a mirror that reflects you,” Axel said quietly.

“You’re not making any sense.”

“Xion is a puppet,” he explained slowly. “Created to duplicate your powers.”

“Are you nuts? Xion’s a person, not a puppet!”

Axel shook his head. “She’s a mirror that reflects you. And when I looked in the mirror…it wasn’t you I saw.”

“Xion is Xion. You can’t expect her to be me!” Roxas shouted in frustration.

“That’s not what I mean…It was only a matter of time before someone broke the mirror.”

Axel’s equivocating exhausted the last of his patience, and Roxas had to ask as directly as possible, “You mean...they have to destroy her!?”

Axel made no reply.

“Answer me!” he screamed, kicking the floor.

Axel still spoke quietly. “Roxas, if somebody doesn’t—then you won’t be you anymore.”

“I’ll always be me! I’m still best friend—just like Xion is my best friend!”

But Axel shook his head. “That’s not it. You’re missing the whole point, Roxas.”

“Forget this.” Roxas kicked the floor again for good measure and started walking away.

“Roxas!”

But he didn’t look back.

“I wish you’d understand, Roxas...”

* * *

 _This is the way it has to go_ , Axel told himself, lying on his bed. _This is the right course._

 _But_ _I get the feeling that I’m not really accepting the choice I made,_ he thought, chest clenching _._

_How could I choose between Roxas and Xion? And yet, that was exactly what I’d been forced to do. Then Xion walked away of her own accord. Then again, this does little to alter the big picture. All it means is that Xion will no longer be draining strength from Roxas._

_The plan with Saïx will only suffer a slight delay in progress—nothing more. Although even that slight delay will let Roxas remain himself for a little longer. I don’t know what will happen. But I’m glad, at least, for a little more time to think.  
_

_What will I have to do? What should I do?_

His thoughts kept him awake for some time.


	22. Day 354: Truth & 355: Unsaid, Unheard

All the Organization’s remaining members were gathered in the Round Room. The order to convene came as everyone gathered in the lobby.

Axel, and the others too, waited, absolutely still.

The air wavered, and Xemnas appeared in his chair.

Roxas didn’t look up.

“Xion has disappeared yet again,” Xemnas said.

 _It happened yesterday—everyone has probably already heard_ , Axel thought.

“Do we know where she is headed?” inquired Xaldin.

Xemnas gave no sign of having heard the question. “‘It’—not ‘she’—is a replica, merely a puppet.”

“A puppet?” said Luxord. “What does that mean exactly? Someone made her?”

“A puppet is a puppet,” Saïx replied for Xemnas. “Puppets generally don’t make themselves.” He was his usual dry and sarcastic self.

“It was one of those little pet projects,” Xigbar supplied, hiding his smirk under his palm. “The Replica Program.”

Demyx squinted in confusion. “The what now?”

Roxas had assumed everyone but him knew what was going on. Apparently, he was wrong.

“Perhaps you’d care to enlighten us about this project of yours,” Xaldin said to Xemnas, and all eyes focused on their leader.

“The goal was to duplicate the Keyblade wielder’s powers through fragments of his memory, and thus make those powers our own. This was one of the projects underway at Castle Oblivion, where prototype No. i was developed— however, our efforts were severely curtailed by Vexen’s untimely demise.”

Everyone listened in silence to Xemnas’s account.

 _I was the one who terminated Vexen. If I hadn’t done that, who knows how things would have turned out._ Axel took in the news with his arms folded and his eyes closed. 

“Needless to say, losing Vexen was an not part of our plans. We were also caught off guard when this particular replica called Xion formed an identity and gained a will of its own.”

Xemnas paused there, and Saïx filled the silence. “No one at Castle Oblivion ever reported any instance where a replica formed its own identity. Do you concur, Axel?”

Despite being addressed by name, Axel managed to ignore this entirely. _It’s true. I was the only one aware that the Riku Replica ultimately formed a sense of self. But I used him to eliminate Zexion and I planned to use him for even more. How could I tell the organization about him?_

Had Axel been involved in the Replica Program at Castle Oblivion? And if so…how long had he known about Xion? Roxas gave him a hard stare.

Axel didn’t even flinch.

“Whatever the puppet may decide to do, we can be certain it will no longer have an impact on our plans,” said Xemnas. “Still, it knows our secrets. We need to shorten the leash. Perhaps even tighten it.”

At that Roxas leaned forward, nearly jumping out of his chair. “What exactly do you—”

Xemnas cut Roxas off without so much as a glance his way. "We can’t very well allow her to roam free.”

“That’s quite a lot to swallow,” said Xaldin. “It’s a very well-made product, for Vexen.” 

“But what you’re saying is that it’s now broken. And things that are broken are more difficult to control, so it must be destroyed,” Luxord mused.

“Correct,” Saïx answered.

“Yikes,” Demyx squealed. “If she’s broken, she could go berserk. If she did, that’d be a total mess.”

Axel took a quick glance at Saïx, then looked away. _The organization won’t keep a broken toy. Not one that they can’t control and is prone to going berserk. Going out of control is against the rules. I know that. And so does he._

“Axel.”

Axel opened his eyes and looked expectantly at Xemnas.

“The onus is on you to capture and bring back Xion. The escape was on your watch. I will overlook any nicks or scratches. Just ensure she still functions on arrival.”

Axel said nothing at all.

“Why would you allow a deserter back? We should simply eradicate her!” Xaldin all but bellowed.

“It is not a ‘deserter’,” Saïx said with a pointed look at Xaldin. “It is just a flawed specimen that has wandered out from under the microscope.”

“Are we clear, Axel?” Xemnas prompted.

Axel still made no reply. 

That gave Roxas a shred of hope. Maybe he was going to refuse…

But Axel only looked back at Xemnas, obediently silent. _The way he’s looking at me, It’s not the first time. I can just tell he’s serious. If I don’t comply, he’s going to turn me into a Dusk. No. Worse. He’s going to eradicate me._

“Dismissed.” With that, Xemnas promptly vanished.

Axel stared at the empty high seat, deep in thought.

“Bring her back alive? It’s sheer madness,” Xaldin muttered, and then he was gone.

“All this time, I’ve been talking to a puppet…” Demyx remarked while throwing his arms up.

“Our leader does play his cards close to his chest. If only the whispers at the top of the ladder carried to the bottom rung...” said Luxord, perhaps in reply to Demyx, and disappeared.

Demyx shrugged and followed suit.

“So now, we just sweep it up, huh? As if,” Xigbar left as well.

Only Roxas, Axel, and Saïx remained.

“Axel. Those orders were absolute,” Saïx reminded him bluntly.

Axel looked up and his mouth twitched—almost a smile or a smirk—and then he vanished, too.

Roxas wanted to say something, but what could he say? He was still reeling from the revelation that Xion was a puppet.

“Still here, Roxas? Proceed with your mission. You’ve spent enough time worrying about a puppet.”

That word again. Roxas turned a furious glare on Saïx. “Xion is not a puppet. She’s one of us!”

Saïx broke into a low chuckle, the first time Roxas had seen him so much as smile. “One of us? Don’t be absurd. Just count the chairs. When have we ever been more than thirteen?”

Roxas scanned the Round Room. There were thirteen, and when Xion came to the Organization, all of them had been full. She had never once had a place to call her own.

Saïx left while Roxas sat stunned by the realization.

He stared in shock at the middle of the floor, remembering the day when Xion first stood there, hooded and silent. 

* * *

_Think. Think. What am I supposed to do?_ Axel went briskly down the halls to the Grey Area. _I’ve been asking myself what to do for so long._ _If I bring Xion back, she’s either going to destroy Roxas or he’s going to have to destroy her. That’s what I wanted to prevent. I don’t want Roxas to go through the pain of fighting his best friend. But I don’t want him destroyed, either._

“Axel!” Roxas called, out of breath from sprinting after him.

He stopped and glanced at Roxas over his shoulder, but he said nothing. _I don’t know where to begin. Trust me? I won’t hurt her? How would trusting me even help? What is ‘trust’ in the first place, anyway? It’s almost funny how lost I am._

“Maybe it’s best…if Xion never comes back to the Organization.” Roxas looked away, his voice small and hesitant.

_So that’s his conclusion. I arrived at the same one yesterday. The situation, however, has changed since then. Plus, I promised Xion. I have to keep my word, don’t I?_

_What Xion really wants—and what Roxas wants, too—is for the three of us to stay together. But there’s nothing I can do now to make that happen. So if I can at least keep my promise to her… that’s what I’ll do._ Axel didn’t let any of it show as he waited for Roxas to continue.

“Do you really have to do what Xemnas says?” Roxas asked, still staring at the floor.

A tiny sigh escaped Axel. “If I don’t, they’ll eradicate me next.” _That’s the harsh truth. And if I’m gone, too, who would keep Roxas safe?_

“In that case…can you at least try not to harm her this time?” Roxas pleaded.

“That’s up to her.” Axel breathed an even bigger sigh. “Roxas…”

He looked up.

“Xion is dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” said Roxas.

 _Even after all this, he still doesn’t understand anything about Xion._ “Have you got all your strength back?”

“Not yet…” Roxas shook his head and then stood up straight with sudden realization. “How long have you known about her?”

_There it is, the question I’ve been bracing for. I hoped maybe Roxas wouldn’t think hard enough to ask it; I knew Roxas would push me away if he found out._

“Could it be...that you’ve known about her for a long time, and not told me anything?” Roxas cried.

Axel couldn’t bear to answer him. _Even if this does end our friendship, I’ll still find a way to protect Roxas—I want to. After all, I promised Xion. No matter what it does to Xion, I’ll take care of Roxas. Even if my way and her way don’t mix._

Axel turned his back on Roxas and walked away.

* * *

After a long and grueling day, Axel stopped at the clock tower by himself. He searched various worlds, but there was no sign of Xion.

_Perhaps she’s already back with Sora now. I don’t know if I’ll even be able to find her if that’s the case._

He sighed.

_And now Roxas finally knows. I’ve been hiding the truth about Xion from him. I think if I really tried to explain things to him, he might understand._

_“I wonder what kind of guy I was before...”_

_But that isn’t the only thing I’ve been keeping from him. And if he learned the truth about that, I don’t think he’d be so understanding._

_“From where I stood, the only thing you drew was a big L on your forehead for ‘Loser,’ ‘Lame,’ ‘Laughable’._

_“Wha—? Isn’t this the part where ya cheer me up or somethin’? ‘You were just havin’ a bad day,’ or…‘That’s what you get for pullin’ your punches!’ Some friend.”_

_“Oh, you mean I was supposed to lie.”_   
  
_“Ya see what I gotta put up with? Sure hope you don’t have friends like him.”_

_That time was so much fun. We all laughed together. I wish I could go back to that day. I wish things could have stayed like that forever. Me, Isa...and Ventus. I thought it’d be fun if we all played together some time. But I never saw him again._

_I was just...afraid Roxas would go vanishing on me, too._

Suddenly, a flock of birds flew overhead, cawing, and Axel tilted his head up to watch them.

_They’re flying so freely. Flying on the wind._

_If fire is the element of passion, then what is wind? I suppose it would be the element of...freedom._

He closed his eyes and felt the breeze gently caress his face.

_Neverland. The place where you never have to grow up. Roxas got to fly there, just like those birds. I’d never seen him look so alive before. Or since, for that matter._

_Roxas always did dream about flying, didn’t he?_

Axel’s mind aimlessly drifted into the past, to the days he spent with Roxas. Whenever it was just the two of them, the conversation often turned to one topic: flight.

* * *

Day 173.

Axel called it off early and headed to the clock tower. To his surprise, Roxas had beaten him to it.

“Hey, done already?”

“Yup!”

_Roxas is strangely cheerful. Was it the lie I told him this morning? I told him that Saïx would stop calling Xion a failure, but that wasn’t true. He seemed so happy about it, though. It almost makes me feel a bit guilty._

Just as Axel was about to sit beside him, Roxas blurted out the real reason he was so chipper. “Axel, you’re not gonna believe this. I flew today.”

 _Oh, so that’s it. He’s right—that does sound a little out there._ Axel gave him a serious look. “You did what now?”

“I flew! Like a bird! Well, not quite like a bird. I’m not really sure how. But I did it!”

“…Sounds pretty neat,” Axel replied. _I’m not sure why it merits that much excitement. Maybe it’s lost on me because I’ve never done any flying myself. But Roxas’s expression as he tries to describe it is brighter than I’ve ever seen before._

“It was better than neat. It was amazing! I’ve been waiting all day to tell you.” Roxas gazed out at the sky, as if he was imagining himself soaring off the clock tower right now. The breeze ruffled his bangs. “And it felt so familiar somehow. Like I’ve done it before… Like a good memory. Isn’t that weird?”

_Like a good memory. It’s the first time I’ve heard Roxas describe anything that way._

Then, as if the fever of his enthusiasm had broken, Roxas fell into another of his pensive moods. “I wish Xion would wake up, so I could tell her, too…”

_Roxas must have been able to remember Sora’s experience, when he first flew in Neverland and wanted to tell Kairi. He went from super happy to depressed when he thought about Xion._

* * *

Day 224.

Holding an ice cream bar, Axel sat laughing with Roxas atop the clock tower.

“You think that sparkly dust would work in other worlds?” Roxas wondered.

“I dunno about that…” _Flying WAS quite an experience. Now I understand why it had Roxas so thrilled._

“Wow, you guys are early.”

“Hey, Xion! Where’ve you been?”

While Roxas shouted with delight to see Xion, Axel automatically found something else to look at. He was nervous.

“Sorry I’m so late.” Xion took her perch beside Roxas. “I had my hands full today.”

“Okay—I _have_ to tell you!” Roxas crowed, still full of glee. “Today me and Axel were flying! Like, actually flying! All you need is this sparkly dust!”

Xion let out a tiny sigh. “I was wondering why you two looked so happy. Lucky…”

“You can come next time. That world has this beautiful sea…”

“Really…?” Xion murmured, looking down at the rooftops. “I’ve been to a world with a beach before. It was so pretty. Destiny Islands, it’s called…”

“Isn’t the ocean nice? I love listening to the waves.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Roxas was still riding high on the excitement. Axel, on the other hand…

“Um, I’m not…being a third wheel, am I?” asked Xion.

“What?” Roxas was taken aback. “Xion, you’re our friend!”

Xion hung her head.

_Xion had been questioning her origin. I knew she was a replica. That was why I suggested going to the beach. I knew we wouldn’t be together forever. It’s only natural, though. That’s...just part of growing up._

* * *

Day 154. This was the very first day Roxas mentioned his desire to fly. 

Roxas sat down on the clock tower, absently working on his ice cream. From far off, the voices of playing children could be heard. Axel wasn’t here yet. And he hadn’t seen Xion today.

“The wrong button, huh…?” he mumbled into his ice cream. It had been a few days since Xion stormed off.

_“Um, Roxas…”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Why are we doing all this?”_

_“Huh?_ _What do you mean, why? It’s so we can get hearts of our own.”_

_“But why? What do we need hearts for?”_

_“I dunno. I always figured…it’ll all make sense once we have them.”_   
  
_“Maybe. I just wish I knew why I’m here, in the Organization…”_

_Xion’s right. Everything I told her was straight out of the Organization handbook_ , Roxas thought. _I was just parroting what I’d always been taught. But all that does is give me permission not to think. To not have to ask why. Once we have hearts, everything will just make sense. End of story, no more questions. But will it, really?_

“Hey. Just you today?”

“Yep…” Roxas said without turning. He knew it was Axel behind him.

Axel perched next to him and, likewise, started on his daily reward.

 _This is…boring. Tedious. Is it because Xion isn’t here?_ Roxas sighed. 

Seeing his obvious discontent, Axel let out a soft laugh. “Well, they’re keeping me pretty busy. Maybe they’re doing the same for her.”

“I know.”

“Then cheer up already. C’mon, what’s with the face?”

 _Do I really look that down?_ Roxas wondered. “What face...?” He ducked his head to hide it from Axel.

 _The sunset in Twilight Town never changes. It never changes. Without Xion here, I start to realize how all the days start to blend together._ He gazed into the sunset, lost in thought.

 _My mission today was in a new world. But even if the world changes, it’s always the same thing. Eliminate Heartless. I’m not allowed to stray from the mission._ _They never tell me anything, either._

_“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Xigbar said you and me were pretty special.”  
_

_Yeah...they don’t tell me anything. I told Xion that we were both special. But that was just me repeating what Xigbar said. Truth is, I have no idea what makes me and Xion so special. The only thing I know is that we can collect hearts with the Keyblade. That’s why I have to fight them every day._

“Stop zoning out, will ya?”

“Huh? ...Oh, right.”

“Your ice cream’s melting,” said Axel, and Roxas hurriedly put the ice cream in his mouth. “So, your mission go okay today?”

“Yeah…” Roxas lowered his eyes.

“Heard from Saïx that you were sent to Wonderland today.”

“Yeah…”

Axel heaved a sigh at Roxas, who was giving nothing but noncommittal answers. “Are you by any chance, still worrying about Xion?”

“Not really… It’s like you said. I just need to give her some space.”

_Something’s off about Roxas today. He seems a lot more serious than usual. Something is definitely bothering him. Something more serious than just Xion being in a bad mood. But I’m not quite sure what it is._

A bird streaked past, practically skimming Roxas’s nose. He turned his head to watch the gulls take flight. “Must be fun to soar on the wind like that, don’t you think?”

“... _That’s_ your idea of fun?” Axel replied, taking a bite of his ice cream.

A heavy silence fell over them. At length, Roxas spoke up again. “I wonder how long we’re gonna live like this. Will it ever end?”

Axel stared at Roxas. _Maybe_ _Roxas is feeling the monotony of doing the same kind of missions day after day. In fact, the only task he’s ever given, every single day, is to destroy and suppress the Heartless. But it can’t be helped._ “Someday.”

Suddenly, three kids—ones Axel had seen out and about before—were climbing the slope to the station. They were loud, as usual. This time, a few other kids were following them.

“Hey! Chicken-wuss. That was dirty!” shouted a boy in a beanie named Seifer.

“Agreed.”

“Y’know!” His two followers echoed his sentiments.

“Whatever. You were slacking off on your practice! Not my fault I finally beat your record again! You want another shot!?” Hayner yelled back.

“Hmph. You asked for it. I’m about to show you what a real knight can do!”

“Yeah, yeah. If you say so.”

Roxas watched intently as Hayner and Seifer took turns bouncing the ball on a blue toy bat. After a while, Seifer and his friends stormed off.

“You totally won, Hayner. He’s just mad!”

“Yeah, Olette’s right. I’m so glad I got a photo.” Pence fumbled with his camera.

The three were laughing their heads off.

 _I hung out with those three kids on my day off. It was so much fun being free to do something different for a change. They get to wander freely around town every day, doing whatever they like. I’m so jealous. I wish I could be one of them._ “They’d be around the same age as me, wouldn’t they?” Roxas muttered.

“Huh?” 

“Nothing.” Roxas shook his head slightly, not sure if Axel even heard him.

_“Lea, we have to go.”_

_“’Kay.”_

_“Already?”_

_“I’ll see ya when I see ya. After all, we’re friends now. Get it memorized.”_

_“Okay, Lea.”_

Axel stared at Roxas’s profile. It seemed like that face was the only thing from his past that hadn’t changed.

_Roxas is very special. Very special to the Organization, but also...very special to me. But in the same way that the Organization has been keeping Roxas in the dark about everything, there are also things that I’m keeping from him._

_This is betraying Roxas, isn’t it?_

Axel watched the kids playing with the ball, distantly. The sea-salt ice cream in his hand dripped on his glove. “Ah damn, it’s melting.” He turned away from Roxas and bit into his ice cream.

Roxas sighed again. All he wanted was for things to change. All Axel wanted was for things to stay the same. Roxas was not aware of Axel’s anxieties. Nor was Axel aware of Roxas’s unease.

_I don’t know what this is. It’s just—it’s just, I get this feeling like Roxas might be going away somewhere, and I shouldn’t have a heart, but something is stirring inside my chest._

Axel took another mouthful of ice cream, and, in the same way as Roxas, looked off into the sunset.

* * *

_I think I get it now. Why Roxas was so obsessed with flying._

_Freedom._

_Not being tied down to a boring routine fighting Heartless all day, every single day. Not surrounded by a bunch of adults barking out orders at him. Not wearing a black robe._

_Roxas finally sees the truth. That gloomy castle is no place to call home. The organization...is a prison. I may have joined this prison of my own free will, but he didn’t._

_He doesn’t belong here. This is no place for anyone, let alone a kid. He’s longing to experience a normal childhood. Not just watching it from afar. He wants to live like Peter Pan. Going on adventures, having fun, wandering around. Like those kids down there._

_Free to do whatever he wants. He wants his own summer vacation._  
  
The breeze started blowing his hair.

_Yeah. Summer vacation. That’s what he wants. What he deserves. With...kids his own age._

_I know that. I’ve known it all along. What Roxas truly longs for, more than anything else. And it’s not the same thing I want._

_Now that Xion, the girl his own age, is gone...Roxas won’t want to stay._ _She was the one thing keeping him here._ _If he knew the truth, Roxas would choose to leave me. I...always knew that. That’s why I never told him the truth. I can try and tell myself that I kept him in the dark for his own good, but that isn’t true. It was for me, more than anything._

He bit into the ice cream bar. 

_Despite eating it every day, I still don’t really like the taste. It just comforts me. Makes me feel like I’m in the past. I only started eating it...once I met Roxas._ _Xion and Roxas always loved eating it._

_But...it’s pretty salty._

_The saltiness wears off quickly, though, and the ice cream actually becomes very sweet. But...that super sweetness is even worse, honestly. I guess taste changes as you get older._

_Yeah, that must be it. Kids enjoy sweet stuff like this ice cream. But now that I’m an adult, it doesn’t taste too good._

_I’ve...outgrown the taste of ice cream. But Roxas hasn’t._

Axel watched the same three kids playing with the ball, off in the distance. He bit on the melting ice cream as he watched the kids below him.

He lingered for a long time before he finally RTC’d.

* * *

The next morning, Axel was just as groggy as usual. _Things are spiraling out of control, but I don’t know what move to make in response. All I have are doubts and confusion._ A sense of urgency set in as he strode down the halls to the lobby.

“Axel,” Roxas called.

There was an agitated note in his voice Axel had never heard before. It brought him to a halt. He turned, trying to relax his shoulders. “Hey, Roxas.”

When he forced a smile, Roxas looked away.

 _These past few days, every time we’ve crossed paths, our conversations turn harsh. Roxas looks gloomier each time I see him. Just like someone with a heart_ , Axel thought, strangely calm.

“Did you find Xion yet?” Roxas refused to meet Axel’s eyes.

“You know it isn’t gonna be that easy.” Axel shrugged.

“I suppose not…” Roxas mumbled faintly.

 _We’re avoiding the real topic of conversation. The question Roxas asked was barely even rhetorical—he’s trying to gauge whether the time is right._ So Axel waited for him to speak. _I know there are a good deal of questions Roxas wants to ask—or, at least, a good deal of things he wants to know about Xion. And I don’t have the answers to all of them, but I want to tell Roxas as much as I can._

Roxas looked up at him. “Have you known...about Xion this whole time?”

 _I have no intention of lying anymore. But some things I can’t say and some things I don’t know._ “No, not the whole time.”

“Since when then?” Roxas pressed.

“Uhhh...” Axel scratched his head, like it wasn’t a big deal. “I can't exactly remember when.”

That brought a dry smile to Roxas’s face. “Didn’t get it memorized, huh?” But after the riff on his catchphrase, an awkward pause hung between them. “Axel…” Roxas finally said. “Who am I, really?”

 _That right there is the number one question Roxas wanted to ask. But I have no idea how to answer_. He looked at Roxas’s wide eyes. He didn’t want to lie. But…

“I’m special like Xion. I know that,” said Roxas. “But the Organization wanted me out of the picture. Am I right?”

Axel nodded. “Yeah. They did.”

“I guess it’s ‘cause Xion copied my powers, and the the Keyblade’s powers, and they didn’t need me anymore.” 

He couldn’t bring himself to confirm it.

“And Axel, I guess you felt the same way.”

At those words, something wrenched in his chest, and he could hardly breathe. _No, not me. I wasn’t thinking like that. I would never._ “You’re wrong there. You’ll always be...my best friend.” Those were the words that automatically spilled out of him.

Roxas shook his head furiously. “Best friends are supposed to be honest with each other!”

 _He’s angry_ , Axel thought clearly. _It really does make it seem like he has a heart. But if that’s all I can think of when he’s this upset, I really must not have one._

“Who am I, Axel?!” Roxas shouted, and Axel only stared at him. “Xemnas says Xion and I are connected to each other through Sora! I don’t even know a Sora! Am I a puppet like Xion!?”

 _Sora, the Keyblade master—everything goes back to him. Maybe I made mistakes in Castle Oblivion. Maybe everything I’ve ever done was a mistake._ He shook his head. “You’re different from Xion.”

“Then why d—”

Axel cut him off. “Finding out the truth doesn’t always work out for the best.”

“What makes you so sure about that?” Roxas clutched his fists. “I have the right to know the truth!”

Axel had no retort for that. _He’s right. He has every right to know. But still..._

“How did I even get here? Why am I so special? Where did I learn how to use the Keyblade? I hardly know who I am! What is so wrong with wanting some answers!?”

 _He even sounds like he’s about to cry_ , Axel thought. “Roxas…”

Roxas shook his head in quiet refusal. “I need to know, Axel. Please... Who am I?”

 _I can’t. What can I say? Just tell Roxas point-blank that he’s Sora’s Nobody? But what if that sets him on the same path as Xion, deserting the Organization? Then I’ll have broken my promise to her—the one thing I can’t bear to do. But I know. I know it’s already too late._ “You’ve just gotta trust me, Roxas.”

“I don’t. I can’t.” Resolute, Roxas looked Axel in the eyes as he said it. No anger or hurt was showing in his face now.

“Roxas…” Axel started helplessly.

But Roxas turned his back on Axel, as if rejecting him. “Somebody knows where I came from. If I can’t get answers here, I’ll get them somewhere else. That’ll be the person...I trust.” He left the rest unsaid and started to leave.

Axel watched him walk away from everything, and he couldn’t come up with anything that might stop him.

* * *

The castle was in an uproar. Word had already reached Saïx. Roxas had attacked the Dusks working here in the castle. They were summarily ordered to capture him.

 _All these desertions. This is ridiculous. And with Xion already gone, losing Roxas is a real problem. Xemnas has issued orders: we have to stop Roxas from leaving._ Saïx was heading for the castle gates when someone called his name, not unexpectedly.

“Saïx.”

 _I’d anticipated that this might happen._ “Time is of the essence, Axel. Make it quick.”

“Just—just give me a second,” Axel said hesitantly. “I just want a little time.”

“For what?”

“I’ll bring him back to our side. Let me—”

“That’s enough.” Saïx turned his head, giving Axel a sidelong look over his shoulder. “Traitor.”

Axel scowled darkly.

“I’m going. You know, don’t you, that you won’t stop me except by force? And even if you tried, you would fail.” Saïx went on his way. _It’s my memories that are telling me this sort of thing is unpleasant._

_“I’m remembering things. About who I was as a human.”_

_“Well, stop remembering. Nothing good will come of it.”_

Axel remembered what he told Xion said in Castle Oblivion.

_“She’s already decided where she wants to go. There’s nothing you can do to stop her.”_

And he remembered what Riku said, too.

_Maybe he was right..._

* * *

Saïx posted himself on a floor near the castle gates to wait for Roxas. It had been quite a long time since he fought anyone, but he could feel battle drawing nearer. He greeted Roxas with his Claymore in hand. “I’m afraid we can’t have you wandering off whenever you like. It’s against the rules.”

Roxas responded to the declaration by summoning his Keyblade. “I have nothing to say to you. I’m leaving.”

“That would be a problem. When that puppet proves itself useless, we’ll need you.”

Roxas simply ignored him and tried to get past.

“Go back to your room. There is nowhere else to go. Nowhere for you or that puppet.”

“Get out of my way!” In that instant, Roxas charged.

Saïx blocked the sweep of the Keyblade and violently hurled him backward onto the ground. “Don’t underestimate me. Did you really think you could win? Now? After Xion has sapped all your strength?”

“What...did you say!?” Axel had said the same thing before. He said Xion was dangerous and asked if he got all his strength back, but Roxas still didn’t know what he meant.

“The reason you’ve grown so weak is that Xion has been by your side, absorbing all of your power. It was about to take the last remnants of your strength, but someone got in the way. Axel. And all because of your revolting make-believe friendship.” The look on Saïx’s face turned from expressionless to terrifying.

Roxas felt a terrifying aura emanate from him as he glared so viciously the scar on his face swelled.

 _Best friends!? Don’t make me laugh!_ “We can’t possibly feel friendship. We have no hearts. We’re Nobodies. We’re just recreating emotions from the memories of our past,” Saïx angrily scoffed. “This rage of mine you see before you is also fake!” An image of Axel floated up in his mind. “Even that fool, he too feels nothing! You’ve all made fools of yourselves!”

Roxas once again tried to get past him, but to no avail.

“Leave the organization? What would you do then? You have nowhere else to go.”

“Augh!” Roxas cried as Saïx slammed him to the ground.

“You have no heart, no memories—you’re empty. Yet, we gave you a name and provided everything for you. The organization is what gave you purpose.”

Roxas stood up and stared Saïx down. “Hearts, memories. Who needs ‘em? I just do what I feel.”

“How long will you keep clinging to those shadows of a memory? You feel nothing. That alone is the absolute truth.”

A faint memory appeared in Roxas’s mind.

_“You feel nothing.”_

_Nobodies. Born between light and darkness. Beings that never were. One day, I was born there. I felt nothing. Everything was blank._

_“I can give you purpose.”_

_He gave me..._

_“The new you.”_

_...a name and a black coat._

_“Welcome to Organization XIII.”_

_I did what he said and joined the organization._

“No one has the right to tell me what I feel!” Roxas lunged at him.

Saïx promptly hurled the Claymore at him, but Roxas deflected it easily, a fluid motion unlike anything Saïx had seen from him before.

 _Long ago—I remember, I didn’t hate fighting._

The Claymore slammed into Roxas… And Saïx recalled things from long, long ago.

* * *

_“Just go!”_

_“_ _Are you sure you can handle this?”_

 _“You could pretend to have a_ little _faith in me. I’ll be alright. I’m tough.”_

_Lea stayed behind for my sake. He took on that really strong Heartless all alone so I could get away. It’s all my fault._

He looked down at Lea’s disc in his hands and clutched it tightly. His hands were shaking.

_Can I really do this without Lea? I’m...scared. Scared without him here with me. I’ve never fought on my own before._

_No. I have to do this myself._

_I...I love Lea. I can’t just rely on him to do everything for me. I want to keep him safe, too. I want to stay by his side. I want to be useful to him. I want him to need me, too._

_That's my purpose. And as long as I have a purpose, I can get stronger. I can fight._

He saw a group of Shadow Heartless spring forth from the floor and felt his nerves get the best of him. He closed his eyes and imagined Lea beside him, cheering him on.

_“Fight, fight, fight!”_

_He IS right beside me. He’s always here with me. Even when we’re apart. As long as I can feel him beside me, I’m not afraid. Because I’m not alone._

He fought, exactly as Lea taught him previously.

_I...I did it! I defeated them!_

He smiled as he looked down at the little fireball on the red frisbee.

* * *

“Fool! That puppet has already left your side, why do you persist!?" Saïx eyes had now changed. They were glowing bright yellow.

“I promised her! I promised we’d go to the beach together!” Roxas dealt a fierce blow against him.

“What!”

His Keyblade physically transformed and it shattered the Claymore, striking Saïx in the arm. _Impossible... What did he do..._? _The Keyblade..._

Roxas looked at his hand, at the Keyblade’s new shape. Oathkeeper.

Saïx collapsed to his knees beside his shattered weapon. “Ngh— How much longer…?” He groaned through clenched teeth. “Kingdom Hearts… Will your power never be mine?” Unbeknownst to Roxas, the power he truly yearned was not the power to defeat him. It was another kind of power. A special power only humans with hearts had.

But Roxas couldn’t help but feel pity for him in that moment. He looked so anguished. Instead of finishing him off so he couldn’t pursue him, Roxas simply dismissed his Keyblade and went on his way.

* * *

Lea didn’t even notice, but he was staring at Isa’s face.

_He has yellow eyes. Like that man with the eyepatch. A while ago, he attacked me. It happened when a memory was triggered. But for the last few weeks he hasn’t remembered anything, even his own name._

“What's wrong?”

Lea snapped out of his ruminating thoughts. “Oh, nothing.” He did his best to push his worries aside. “Today our job is putting up some flyers.” All sorts of businesses had their flyers up everywhere. “Looks like some new dance class is opening up. And here’s some flyers advertising a plumbing business. Oh, this one’s for a local coffee shop. And...a circus?”

“Okay. Then let’s split up. We’ll spread the different posters out over a wide area.”

“What? No. Splitting up’s a bad idea,” said Lea instinctively.

Isa seemed confused. “But we’ll get it done faster, right? Then we can have dessert sooner. If I go with you, I’m sure I’ll just slow you down.”

 _He attacked me. I wonder if something like that will ever happen again. As long as he doesn’t remember, he should be fine. But what if he does? I...just want him to stay by my side and not leave again._ “Hey, I wanna make sure you don’t collapse again. Remember? If that happens and you’re by yourself that’ll be bad.”

“Hmm. Okay, you’re right. Sorry for causing you trouble.”

Isa and Lea started on the odd job. After a few hours, they made their way over to the park in Sunset Terrace. There was a small fountain in a secluded little area.

“Should we put up posters here, too?”

“Maybe a few,” Lea said.

Isa took a moment to look at his reflection in the fountain. It looked strange. Like a completely black silhouette of himself, with beady yellow eyes. He jolted backward and fell.

“What’s wrong?”

Before Isa could respond, the clock tower’s bells tolled like some kind of omen. The air trembled, and they could hear something roaring from behind them.

Out of nowhere, a black portal materialized. And out of the portal stepped a man in a black coat with his hood up. “So. This is where you've scurried off to, X.” 

“NOO!! It’s one of them! Stay behind me!” Lea ran in front of Isa, who was too startled to move.

The black-robed man simply ignored Lea and continued to address Isa. “Your time is at its end. There is no escaping fate.” His face could not be seen under his dark hood, and Lea didn’t recognize his voice, either.

“What the hell do you people even want with him!?”

“I am merely here to inform him of his destiny." He pointed at Isa. “That scar you have. It lets us know where you are at all times. There is nowhere for you to run or hide. You are one of the chosen. And so, you shall return to us.”

“Chosen...?” Isa could barely work up the courage to ask.

“‘On that land shall darkness prevail and light expire.’ Your destiny is to help blanket the worlds in darkness. All the pieces need to be on the board on the promised day.”

Isa had no idea what he was talking about and simply looked on in horror.

“You’re completely crazy! I won’t just stand by and let you take him!” shouted Lea.

“I don’t need to. He will return. It has been etched. I am merely here to set the events in motion. As I said, there is no escaping destiny.” And with that, he simply disappeared the same way he appeared.

“What’s going on, Lea? Who was that? What does he want with me?” He clutched his head and fell to his knees. “Who...am I?”

And that was when Lea knew he had no choice. He needed to tell him the truth.

* * *

Axel’s mind drifted back from the past when he heard Roxas’s footsteps getting louder.   
  
“So your mind’s made up?” As Roxas walked by, he noticed the Oathkeeper in his hand. _I’ve never seen that Keyblade before._

Roxas didn’t stop as he replied, “Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know.” He wasn’t angry anymore. Just determined.

 _So, that’s why he has a new Keyblade. It must be his newfound sense of purpose. A purpose that will no doubt take him on a path away from my side._ “You can’t turn on the Organization! You get on their bad side, and they’ll destroy you!” Now Axel was upset—nothing like before.

Roxas smiled thinly and paused a moment. “No one would miss me.” Then he kept going. He wasn’t quite sure where to go—only that he couldn’t stay here.

Axel’s murmur was too faint for Roxas to hear him. “I would…”

Kingdom Hearts, the heart-shaped moon, shone from the dark sky above.


	23. Day 356: Place to Belong & Day 357: Tears

“Did we finish all the food?” asked Hayner, sitting in his usual spot.

Olette reached into the bag. “All that’s left is a fortune cookie.”

“...Just one?” asked Pence.  
  
Hayner tossed some empty white containers in a bag. “Well, I didn’t order any. They better not’a charged me extra.”

“No, they always give a free cookie with every meal. But I’m full. Hayner?” She offered him the cookie.

“Nah, I’m good.”

Pence reached out his hand. “I’ll eat it!”

“Yeah, we know you will, Pence.”

“What’s it say?” Olette asked after he cracked open the cookie.  
  
“Enjoy the simple pleasures. The best things in life are free.”

“Man, how hokey,” Hayner scoffed.

“But it’s true, right? Those simple pleasures are always around us. Like this cookie.”

Hayner rolled eyes as Pence munched on the cookie.

* * *

It was just Xemnas and Saïx in the Round Room.

Xemnas directed his eyes at Roxas’s now vacant seat.

 _Emptiness_ , he thought to himself. _Just emptiness_.

_“You have been with us for six days now. The time has come...”  
_

_Xemnas slowly walked over to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder, just like an old friend would._

_Nothing but emptiness_.

_Terra wheeled around on Maleficent. “What did I do? What did YOU do?”_

_“You speak as if I pulled some invisible strings. No, you couldn’t be further from the truth, child. I simply whispered to the darkness you already held inside.”_

_“How could I do this?”_

_Princess Aurora’s sleeping form atop the bed reminded him of Ven when he was asleep for so long._

_“Don’t let it get you down, Terra. It’s not your fault,” said Aqua._

_“It is my fault. I shouldn’t have asked him stuff while the Master wasn’t there. What if he never wakes up?”_

_Terra stared down at the sleeping boy’s face._

_Only emptiness._

_“Will he wake from this?”_

_“I am told he will—provided she strips the hero of all his memories.”_

_“Then much hinges on Castle Oblivion.”_

_“We needn’t stop collecting hearts. Number XIV has gained power over the Keyblade, just as we intended. Xion can fill Roxas’s shoes for the time being.”_

_“And the chamber? Have you found it?”_

_“No, sir. I would say progress is slow...if we had actually made any.”_

_Saïx left the room, and Xemnas stared down at Roxas._

_“So, sleep has taken you yet again...”_

_Yet more emptiness._

Xemnas turned his head from Roxas’s seat and looked at Saïx. He remembered a blue-haired boy whose best friend had such great affection for him. The same affection Terra felt for Ventus.

 _A heart is nothing but pain_ , he thought. _Surely, he must know that by now as well. Yet, he still wishes to reclaim what was once his._ _I...do not understand._

* * *

Axel ascended the stairs of Twilight Town’s clock tower as he had done so many times before.

_I really thought she or Roxas might be here._

He sighed.

_The reason the three of us always hung out here in Twilight Town was because it felt comfortable. Because twilight is closer to darkness than to light._

He thought of his former home, the city of light. _  
  
__Home is where the heart is, as they say. And we Nobodies have no hearts. No heart. N_ _o home. Nowhere we belong. So we came here._

He stood looking at sunset for a long time. All the memories of the past year flooded his mind endlessly.

_Axel was staring at Xion’s sleeping face, wondering if she’d never wake up. If she didn’t, he knew it was all his fault._

_“Are you worried about her, too, Axel?”_

_“Of course I am.”_

_“Something feels weird. This just doesn’t seem like you.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I mean, you hate troublesome things, right?”_

_“Look, Roxas… Why do you think the three of us meet up to have ice cream every day in the same spot?”_

_“Huh…?”_

_“I mean, I have no use in doing that, do I? It’s not like I have to go out of my way. If you think about it, it’s just one more chore on the pile, right?”_

_“I guess so.”_

_“You wanna know why I do? It’s because we are best friends.”_

His chest was throbbing in pain.

_For a long time I’ve felt it. And right now, I feel it too. The same feeling I did when I had a heart. It all started after Castle Oblivion._

_“Congratulations, Sora! You’re ready now—ready to take on Castle Oblivion. You will need to follow your memories. Trust what you remember and seek what you forget. Then you will find someone very special.”_

_After meeting Roxas and Xion, I did follow my memories._

_“I’m done being a crybaby. I’m not afraid anymore. And you shouldn’t be, either.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“Because even if I_ do _lose you, I’m just going to get you back. No matter how much trouble I have to go through. No matter how many times it takes. Every single time, I’ll get you back. Always. I promise. Got it memorized?”_

_“Thank you...Lea.”_

_I did find someone very special. Only now that person has changed._

_“Keep your mouth shut.”_

_“You have changed... Something at Castle Oblivion changed you. Does the past mean nothing to you now?”_

_Of course it meant something to me. That’s why I was so hurt. I remembered how scared I felt when I thought you wouldn’t wake up. I blamed myself that day. I never wanted to feel that way again. Then it happened with Xion._

_“But be forewarned... When your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be who you are now.”_

_The reason I changed...is because... It’s because my sleeping memories awakened._

_“If I had a heart, you think I could love somebody?”_

_“Once Kingdom Hearts is complete, you’ll be able to do all kinds of things.”_

_“That’s good.”_

_I’ve been trying so hard to complete Kingdom Hearts to become human again. But I forgot... Being human...is a lot of pain, too._

_“So you don’t need a heart to have something that you can’t bear to lose then… If that’s true, then the closest thing we Nobodies have is our pasts. It’s the memories that create the things that we don’t want to lose. You know, memories of the stuff we couldn’t bear to lose, back when we couldn’t bear to lose it.”_

Axel gazed into the sunset as he remembered the one memory that he couldn’t bear to lose. It was more precious—and more painful—than any other.

* * *

Isa was sitting on the ledge of the clock tower gazing off at the sunset, with Lea beside him. After Lea finally told him the truth, his memory started to return in bits and pieces.

_Lea’s always been helping me. Coddling me. I’d always rely on him. When I was too nervous to talk to anyone else, he was there. He’d always protect me when I was too weak and scared to fight on my own. I’m nothing but a big baby.  
_

He took a deep breath as he gathered his resolve.

 _But not anymore. I need to stand on my own two feet instead of relying on him for everything._ _My heart is slowly being swallowed by darkness._ _If I stay by his side, I’ll just wind up going berserk and hurting him. I really...shouldn’t be here._ _It’s okay. I’m sure of it now. I just want to do what I can to protect him. If I go away, then at least he’ll be safe. If I’m the only one who has to disappear…then that’ll be fine._

“Train should be here soon,” Lea said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Isa spoke up, too. “Lea, I... I can’t stay with you anymore.”

Lea had a visceral reaction upon hearing that. “What are you talking about!? Don’t say stuff like that, okay!? Everything will be fine! Once the train gets here, we’ll just run away as far as we can. It’ll be fine.”

Isa shook his head and spoke weakly. “No. It won’t work. They’ll be able to find me, remember? Because of...this mark.” 

It took a little while for Lea to say anything. “So, what? That’s it?”

Isa nodded. “I know...what I have to do.”

Lea could tell where this conversation was going and he didn’t like it one bit. “There has to be some other way!”

“Like what?” he asked resignedly.

“I—I...don’t know,” Lea responded, sounding defeated. 

“If I wait and do nothing, they’ll just make me go back with them. There’s no time. I have to—”

“How could you!?” Lea angrily snapped. _How can he even consider something like that!? And how the hell can he act so calm!? There’s no way he’s fine with this! “_ How could you just leave me behind!?” His anger was turning to anguish. “We’re...supposed to be best friends...”

“Of course we are,” Isa explained, perfectly calm. “But this isn’t about that. This is about the bigger picture. We’ll both be doomed if I stay with you.”

Lea was silent for a long time. “There’s really...no other way?” he asked in the tiny shaky voice of a small child.

Isa didn’t look at Lea. “No,” he said quietly. 

“But I...never even got to...take you to the beach.” Lea didn’t look at Isa. His voice was wavering and his shoulders were shaking. 

“It’s all right, Lea.” Isa looked him in his eyes. He had a soft smile. “My most precious memories are sitting up here with you. I was happy just being by your side. Anything besides that is just icing on the cake.”

Lea remembered when they first ate ice cream together in Radiant Garden after getting caught by the castle guards.

_“Hey, Lea.”_

_“Hm?”_

_“I had fun today. Let’s get some ice cream again tomorrow, too.”_

_I wanted him to experience something unforgettable, so he could make some memories. So I kept urging him and urging him to sneak inside the castle with me. Surprisingly, he finally agreed. When we failed to get inside, I was so bummed. But he didn’t care all that much. He seemed like he had more fun getting ice cream afterwards. At the time, I thought it was weird._ _But I began to treat him every time we tried and failed.  
_

_“Well, another failed attempt, Lea. That makes twelve now. Ready to call it quits yet?”_

_“‘Course not. Not ‘til we get inside.”  
_

_“If you say so. Anyways, it’s dessert time.”_

_“Right, you earned your reward today. As promised, it’s my treat.”  
_

_“We can try again tomorrow. But only if you treat me again.”  
  
“Well, at least I can bribe you to stay motivated with sweet stuff...”_

_I get it now. He didn’t care about doing anything exciting. All he wanted was just...to spend time with me afterwards._

“Oh yeah.” Isa gently grabbed Lea’s hand and placed something in it. 

Lea looked down at his hand. It was a stick that read ‘Winner’. It was the same one from yesterday.

“I was planning to treat you to ice cream today.” Isa was pensive for a few moments. “Do you remember? I really wanted to give you a reward to show my appreciation. You know, for always helping me so much. But there’s nothing I could give you that could ever express how grateful I am...that I got to meet you. The only reason I woke up on the clock tower...was because of you. Thank you, Lea.” He wore a soft, gentle smile.

_“All that hype, just for a free ice cream bar? Laaaame! I was hoping it was something valuable.”_

_He’s giving me this, ‘cause...he won’t be here tomorrow_. “I don’t...want to eat ice cream... Not without you...” Lea whimpered, tightly clutching the stick in his hand.

“It’ll be okay.” Isa tried his best to sound cheerful. He leaned closer and placed his hand over Lea’s. “As long as you keep me in your thoughts, we’ll never have to be apart.” 

Those words didn’t make him feel better at all. They reminded him of one of those trite platitudes you’d see on a fortune cookie. Empty, hollow words devoid of any comfort.

 _But...I don’t want to be left with just memories of you...That’s not the same..._ Lea’s eyes welled up with tears as he stared down at the stick in his trembling hand. Isa had given it to him, so he’d have something to remember the time they shared.

He didn’t care anymore about trying to be strong. He couldn’t hold back any longer. He broke down and sobbed harder than he ever had before in his entire life. Just like a small child. All the pain and anguish he'd been bottling up for so long now burst, like a dam. He was despondent as he realized his dream to be to be together forever was now impossible.

Isa didn’t know how to console him. He hesitated a moment before placing his hand on Lea’s face, wiping away some of his tears. “Please don’t cry, Lea.”

But it didn’t help. Lea was still completely inconsolable. He only cried harder and sobbed louder.

His hand still gently touching Lea’s face, Isa leaned in closer. “We’ll meet again…in the next life.”

Lea raised his head to look at Isa. His shoulders were trembling and his bottom lip was quivering. But for just a moment, he had quieted down. “...Do...you...promise me?” It became difficult for him to speak through his sobs. 

“Yeah. I promise. I’ll be waiting for you.” He gently stroked Lea’s face and wiped away a few more tears. “Now no more crying, okay?”

 _That place in the sky. I felt your presence there that time. I felt you right beside me. You’ll be waiting for me there. You promised me that. I won’t forget._ Lea stared at Isa, then wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Then he took him by the hand. A long time passed as they sat holding hands and watching the sunset, without saying a word. 

The silence made Lea increasingly nervous with each passing second, but he couldn’t muster the courage to say anything. His legs dangled over the ledge and he swung his feet anxiously.

Then, at last, Isa finally let go of Lea’s hand.

Lea watched as he slowly stood up, his gaze fixated far off at the horizon. He looked calm, unlike Lea who was still a mess, his eyes red and puffy. The bells on the clock tower chimed the hour. To Lea, the sound was unbearable, like a requiem. With great reluctance, he got to his feet as well. His body had never felt so heavy before.

They stood still for a few more moments, basking in the scenery, side by side. Lea could still feel the warmth of his best friends hand.

Isa finally looked at his best friend. There was sadness in his eyes, though he was still smiling. He was trying so hard to be strong and mature, so he held back his tears. “I’ll...see you later, Lea.” He spoke so softly and gently, it almost sounded like a whisper.

Lea’s shoulders trembled and he could barely breathe due to the choking sensation in his throat. “See you, Isa.” His voice was as soft and gentle as Isa’s. Tears fell down his face, all the way down the clock tower to the ground.

Isa leaned backward and his body began to descend.

* * *

On the other side of the white table sat the girl in a black cloak. Her hood was pulled up, shadowing her face, but Naminé looked squarely at her and smiled, full and genuine. “Nice to meet you...Xion.”

The girl pushed her hood back, revealing her face—the face of a puppet named Xion. “Naminé, are you able…to see my face?”

Naminé nodded. “Yes.”

Our names have something in common, she realized. Naminé means the sound of the waves, and Xion sounds like shio, the tide. We’re both connected to Kairi, who lives by the great sea. And we both share the same face as her, too.

“Then what do you think I should do?” asked Xion.

Naminé answered with a question. “What do you _want_ to do?”

Xion looked down.

_“Is it true that I’m not supposed to exist?”_

_“Well, what do YOU want to do, Xion?”_

_“I want…I want to be with you two.”_

_That’s what Axel said in my dream, too._

_“What can I... Then what should I do?”_

_“You gotta think for yourself. ‘Cause I know you’re not just a puppet. We’re best friends. You, me, and Roxas, that is. Got it memorized?”_

_He doesn’t want me to do what I’m ‘supposed’ to do. He wants me to do what I WANT to do. He wants me to make a choice that will make me happy. He’s...a true friend._

Xion’s gaze strayed to the drawing on the wall. She peered at it for a while before speaking.

_And Roxas. From the start, I always felt drawn to him. His smile is the spitting image Sora’s. He’s always worried about me and taken care of me. Left me those shells. I...loved spending time together—just the three of us._

_“I have dreams every night. And you’re in those dreams, Axel!”_

_“Then they sure aren’t memories. How could I be a part of your past? They’re just dreams, that's all.”_

_“You can’t fool me. We've met before, Axel, right here in this castle!”_

_“No, we have not. Let’s go home, Xion. Don’t keep Roxas waiting.”_

_“Please, Axel...you’ve got to help me! I need to know who I am.”_

_Roxas and Axel are so precious to me. I love them both so much. I don’t want to leave them, but...as soon as I fought Riku that time, that was when I knew. I began having those dreams. I knew that I came from somewhere else._

“At first, I just wanted to be with Roxas and Axel forever. But then I started to realize that my memories…” Xion caught herself, blinking uncertainly. “Well, they aren’t even really mine, are they?”

_“Xion…your memories… They come from Sora.”_

_“So you mean I’m like a part of him?”_

_“When his memories were scattered, some of them found their way inside you. Now, Sora has been put to sleep so that we can piece together his memory. Except…”_

_“You can’t, because part of it is inside me. That means…he can’t wake up.”_

_My memories belong to Sora.  
_

“You’re not Sora, and you’re not Roxas,” said Naminé. “You’re Kairi as Sora remembers her.”

Xion looked down at the table, thinking.

_“Riku, please… Tell me more—about Sora and that girl he’s always with.”_

_“You mean Kairi.”_

_“Kairi… That’s right. She’s the one who looks so much like me.”_

_“To Sora, she’s someone very special.”_

_I see. I finally get it. Inside Castle Oblivion, I thought...I was Sora. But I’m not. I know who I am now. I’m not just a puppet. I’m Kairi. That’s why I want to go back to Sora._ _If I don’t return, he’ll never wake up. And I can’t bear that thought. Because...he’s someone very special to me, too._

“As I remember more of my past, the more I feel the need to go back where I came from,” said Xion slowly, grasping for the right words. Then she leaned forward, her elbows on the table. “What should I do...to go back?”

“So you’re going back to Sora?” said Naminé.

Xion nodded.

“If you return your memories to him, then you will disappear.” Naminé, too, chose her words carefully. “In exchange for not having your own memory, you're connected through other's memories. So when you disappear, no one will remember you. There won't be any ‘you’ to remember.”

Everything about Xion was built on Sora’s memories; she had no substance of her own. Without those memories, she would cease to exist, reverting to an empty puppet with no face. And no one would remember a puppet. That was the difference between Xion and the Replica of Riku. The Riku Replica was a puppet made from a complete copy of Riku’s memories, while Xion was a puppet created to _absorb_ memories. And when the memories she’d taken were restored to their rightful place, any trace of her would vanish from others’ memories. It would be like Xion had never existed at all.

“For all the powers I possess, I can’t keep even one piece of the memory called ‘you’ connected,” Naminé told her. “All the links between the pieces will break.”

Xion clasped her hands together and lowered her eyes. _This is right. This is the right thing to do. I only wish that...the memories of the time I got to spend with Roxas and Axel could be saved._

When she looked back up, the look in her eyes was so like Sora, Naminé thought. Sincere and determined, a hero’s eyes.

“I know. I’m ready. Otherwise I wouldn't be here.” Xion exhaled. “I also know that Roxas should be going back with me.” She looked away, as if that was the only part that upset her. “But I don’t think he would understand. Not yet,” she went on.

“I know. Roxas can’t feel Sora just yet...”

“Naminé, will you please watch over Roxas once I’m gone?” Xion smiled softly, thinking of Axel. “You won’t be alone. I asked someone else, too. There just isn’t anything else I can do.”

“All right.” Naminé nodded.

“Thank you…”

Naminé truly wanted to protect Roxas, too, just like she’d promised Riku she would look after Sora. It was her heartfelt wish, so to speak. She gave Xion another smile. “Well, if you’re ready, let’s go see Sora.”

But it wasn’t going to happen peacefully, after all. A portal tore open in the white room, and out of the Corridors of Darkness, DiZ emerged. “Naminé, it’s them! The Organization has found us! They’re almost here!” he bellowed, then turned a disgusted glare on Xion. “This blasted puppet led them straight to our doorstep! See what you get for trusting it!?”

 _It’s my fault. So...I’ll go._ “I can handle this!” Xion jumped to her feet without the slightest hesitation and dashed outside.

“Wait! Xion...” cried Naminé, but she never heard. “Who’s there, DiZ?”

“A man with red hair,” he stated with contempt.

“I see... Then it’s Axel.”

_“Does it hurt, Naminé? Watching your two childhood friends fight all because of you? You have my sympathies. From the heart. But don’t waste your time. We Nobodies can never hope to be somebodies.”_

_When I first met him, he seemed different from the other members. He acted cold, but there was sadness in his eyes. Roxas and Xion have a deep connection to Sora and now Axel has a deep connection to them both. That means Axel has a strong connection to Sora._

Naminé remembered a conversation she’d had with Axel, but never got to finish.

_“That’s an incredible power you have, Naminé.”_

_“But…the only thing I can really do is string together bits of memory in different ways. I can’t put in pieces that were never there to start with.”_

_“Doesn’t that mean that as long as you’ve got the data, you can pull it off?” “But I need something to hold it. Like a container.”_

_“A container, huh…?”_

_“And besides. Nobodies like you are at the mercy of their memories. It might awaken something similar in the Replica.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“A heart—”_

_If Xion has a heart, then...that must mean Axel does, too, right? Coming into contact with a strong heart transforms a world. And not just worlds, but people themselves—and even Nobodies and replicas. That’s…the mystery of the heart. When we encounter someone special…the world changes. Our hearts change. Everything changes._

* * *

Axel knew Twilight Town inside out, upside down, and backward, and yet, he’d never set foot in the haunted mansion before. Its looming gates had always been closed. He headed through the dark corridor in an unhurried stride.

 _I’ve been sent to the front gate on a few missions before. But why has it never occurred to me to wonder what’s inside the old mansion? It’s odd that I haven’t given it any thought before. The worlds are moving, wriggling. Others must feel it, too—that they should come here. But what led us here?_ Axel thought. _Maybe I’m becoming connected to the Keyblade master, too._

As he stepped outside the dark corridor, there was Xion, as he suspected. He shook his head. “Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs…”

“Axel…” Xion said, her voice hushed but otherwise normal.

Axel was a bit relieved to see that she looked like herself. “Xion...what are you gonna do?”

She answered plainly, staring at the ground. “I’ve decided that I have to go back where I belong.”

“Well, to be honest, I always thought that was best, right from the very beginning,” Axel replied.

_Right. This is nothing new. I’ve always thought it was better that way, ever since I learned she was a replica._

_“When I sit here and talk with you guys... I get the strangest feeling... that a long time ago, I used to watch the sunset with somebody else. It’s the same when I watch the sea. Someplace by the sea...where I hear the sound of the waves... I get the feeling that I was talking with someone.”_

_Roxas and Xion are special. They always were. They always acted like they had hearts. Deep down, Xion has always felt this way, even when she was sitting up there with us._

_“Xion, go home.”_

_“I’m remembering things. I have memories of back when I was a human.”_

_“Well, stop remembering. Nothing good will come of it.”_

_“Please, Axel...you’ve got to help me! I need to know who I am.”_

_Some nagging feeling that she has somewhere else she truly belongs—back home on Destiny Islands. I knew that. Ever since she said the name ‘Sora’ in her sleep, I knew. She wanted to go back to him. Because...that’s how Kairi would feel.  
_

_“Lea, we don’t have time for this.”_

_“Lighten up, Isa. It’ll only take a sec. You still play with toy swords? That’s cute.”_

_I remember...there was a name—Terra—etched into the wood of that toy._ _Deep down, Roxas probably always felt the same as Xion._

_“Finding out the truth doesn’t always work out for the best.”_

_“What makes you so sure about that? I have the right to know the truth! How did I even get here? Why am I so special? Where did I learn how to use the Keyblade? I hardly know who I am! What is so wrong with wanting some answers!?“_

_“Roxas...”_

_“I need to know, Axel. Please... Who am I?”_

_He always knew deep down that he had somewhere else he belongs, too. Probably home with that Terra person.  
_

_I’m the only one who doesn’t have that. Nowhere to belong. And...no one to go home to._

“But you know, it still really bugs me. Something about this just stinks.” He clenched his fist. _Yeah. This feeling. It’s too familiar. It’s exactly like when I had a heart._

“It’s for the good of everyone,” said Xion.

_Everyone? Everyone, who? For us? Or…for someone else? For Riku and Sora? Maybe. But how is it the best thing for YOU to disappear? Because we both know it. You will. Permanently. No more Xion. You’ll be gone forever and I’ll never ever see you again._

“But how do you know that?” Axel demanded. “Everybody thinks they’re right…” His eyes turned away from her.

_I’m sure the apprentices thought they were right when sacrificed all those test subjects to unlock the mysteries of the heart. It was for the ‘greater good’. You can justify pretty much any sacrifice with that logic._

“This _is_ right,” Xion said firmly. “This is for the best.”

 _I hate that argument. Nothing is_ best _any which way. All it comes down to is what you want to do and what you don’t. I learned that lesson back when I had a heart._

_“…What should I do, then?”_

_“You gotta think for yourself. ‘Cause I know you’re not just a puppet. We’re best friends. You, me, and Roxas, that is. Got it memorized?”_

_What a pathetic cowardly response. I’m nothing but a giant hypocrite. You’re my best friend, but you should think for yourself and choose to disappear? What a crock._

Finally he looked back at her, unable to tolerate her reasoning anymore. “They’re gonna destroy you!” But when he finished yelling, the face he was yelling at wasn’t Xion’s anymore.

Axel gasped. It was the face of—

_...Isa! Why!? When did she change?_

_“Our precious in-house puppet is the new model. Much improved over the previous version you saw back in Castle Oblivion. It doesn’t just copy; it can soak up an opponent’s memories and powers without even having to destroy them first. And it came with a nice little bonus of transforming based on the memories of whoever’s looking at it.”_

Xigbar had said that Xion responded to the memories of the observer. It had to be those with some connection to Sora. Xion would take on a different form based on the memories of anyone strongly bound to him in some way. 

Xion raised the Keyblade against him. “Please don’t hold back, Axel. Promise.”

 _I’d never forget. That’s the exact same look he gave me...back then._ Axel looked away. He felt himself getting more and more agitated. He looked up at her once more, but, still seeing Isa’s face, he had to look away again. He chose to direct his anger at the grass so as not to look at her. “What’s your problem?!” he roared, then had to catch his breath. “You both...think you can do whatever you want.”

Xion didn’t understand Axel’s reaction _. But I thought Axel would want me to do what I wanted. He told me to think for myself, and that’s what I did._

Finally, he looked back up at her, still seeing the face of the person who was once most special to him. “Well, I’m _sick_ of it.” He summoned his flame-wreathed chakrams to his hands. “Go on, you just keep running. But I’ll always be there to bring you back!” It was a plea, a cry, a bitter lament, and a vow.

_No matter how many times you leave, I’ll bring you back. Every time. Both of you. For my sake and for yours. No matter how strong Xion might be, I won’t lose. Because I’m strong._

They began to clash.

He flung his chakrams and sprang into the air, cloaking himself in fire, but Xion’s Keyblade knocked them aside. When the weapons returned to his hands he closed the distance between them and struck. She blocked him.

“Axel… Please.” 

“Please what?”

“I—I have to! Don’t you understand, Axel? I can’t keep existing like this!”

“Yes, you can! There’s gotta be a way!”

Xion shoved him with the Keyblade, then leaped back to adjust her stance. “No, that’s a lie. There isn’t. And I don’t want to be a puppet for the Organization. I won’t let Roxas be their tool, either.”

“Well then, we’ve got the same agenda!” Axel closed in on her again and surrounded her in a wall of flame.

She crossed her arms to shield herself and shook off the leaping fire, then darted in past his guard. “Just listen to me!”

Her Keyblade slammed into Axel’s shoulder, and he groaned. “I am listening! You’re just not making any sense!” _I really, really don’t want to do this…_ Blocking the Keyblade’s next blow, he slashed at Xion with the chakrams and sent her sprawling.

“Axel—!”

“I swear—everyone just keeps making excuses! Every last one of you stubborn assholes are pissing me off!”

 _Every last one? Who else is he talking about? Roxas? Or someone else?_ “Axel, please, you have to understand!” Xion got to her feet.

 _Maybe we’re evenly matched after all. And we both have reasons we can’t lose here._ “What about me? Don’t you think I wanted the three of us to stay together, too?!” Axel cried, knocking her to the ground again.

_I’ve been overthinking what I should do so much that I lost sight of what I want. And I couldn’t gather the courage to follow Roxas. Was I afraid of rebelling against the Organization? No—the truth is, more than anyone else, I just wanted things to stay the way they were._

He wanted to hold onto his little surrogate family. Watching Roxas and Xion laugh, eat ice cream, even argue at times. Just having them by his side. And he even wanted to remain by Saïx’s side, too. The whole year, his hope was that one day, Kingdom Hearts could be completed and Isa would go back to the person he used to be. Then maybe all four of them could laugh and eat ice cream together.

_I don’t care anymore about what the Organization needs, what Xion or Roxas want, or even what’s supposed to be good for the worlds. I’ve been using the Organization for my own ends from the start. The only thing that’s changed is who’s sake I do it all for. Maybe Saïx would call that a betrayal. But the world changes._

_“Nothing lasts forever, man. Least of all for a bunch of Nobodies. But you know, we’ll still have each other...even if things change and we can’t do this anymore.”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“As long as we remember each other, we’ll never be apart. Got it memorized?”_

_Each friend I have is irreplaceable. Each moment I spend with those friends is precious. Isa was the one who taught me that. I hated what he told me back then. I still do. I can’t STAND it. But maybe that’s the only thing I have left now. Memories. The Isa I knew...is long gone._

_“I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.”_

_Maybe this is the only way I can keep him alive now. The only way I can still keep him with me. Through my memories._

_“It’s because you guys are my best friends.”_

_“We are?”_

_“Get it memorized, alright? We are best friends.”_

_“Oh yeah... Guess we are.”_

_“Hee hee. Thanks, Axel. You’re sweet.”_

_I can’t lose anyone else important to me. I just can’t. I won’t. I refuse._ _I want us to stay together. All I want is for us to hold on to our happiness and laugh as a trio. I told myself to grow up and stop wishing for the impossible. Well, I’m done with that. That’s not the answer I want._ _I’ll put an end to all this—I’ll have them stop._

“…Axel…” Once more, Xion dragged herself upright for the third time. 

And they clashed again…

* * *

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Isa was falling and in just a few seconds, he would leave this world forever. 

Without even thinking twice, Lea instinctively reached out and grabbed his hand. He caught him as he dangled and pulled him back safely onto the ledge.

Isa didn’t say a word.

“Cmon. Let’s go.” Lea was still firmly gripping him by the hand. He led him back downstairs and outside, in front of the station. “Once the train gets here, we’ll leave.”

Isa meekly followed Lea, staring at the ground. But then, he suddenly pulled his hand away. “Lea…no...I can’t.”

Lea turned around. “And why not!?”

“Because I shouldn’t exist,” he said flatly. _I’m a failed experiment. I’ll just wind up breaking down and hurting you..._

 _Should. Supposed to. Stupid meaningless words._ “I didn’t ask you what you _should_ do! What do you _want_!?”

 _I...want to stay by your side..._ “I want to go away.”

“So you want to disappear!?”

Isa nodded weakly.

“What the HELL is wrong with you!?”

Isa didn’t respond. Instead, he stared at his feet.

“Forget it! You’re not going anywhere! You belong here with me!”

“That’s impossible. You know that.”

 _Why the hell is he being so damn calm!? It’s infuriating!_ “I don’t care!” He stomped his foot.

“I’ve already made my decision, Lea. Why can’t you just accept it?” There was no discernible emotion in his voice.

This comment only served to enrage Lea. “You think I should just ‘grow up’ and accept that you’ll be gone forever!? Is that it!? No matter what you say, I’ll _never_ accept that! I want us to stay together! That’s it! To hell with...”

He took the ‘Winner’ stick from his pocket and gave it a vicious glare.

“... _Memories_!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs as he launched the stick over the brick ledge as far as he could. It flew over the rooftops and was soon out of sight.

Isa was still looking at ground. He was as calm as could be. “My mind’s made up, Lea. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Why!? Why are you being so damn selfish!? Why!?”

“Because I don’t want to be used by them. If I go with them, it’ll bring darkness to the worlds.” 

Another calm response. “Screw the worlds. I don’t give a damn about them. Not if I have to lose you.” _If the worlds can only exist by taking something precious from me, why should I care about them?_

“I can’t hurt anybody, Lea. I couldn’t live with myself.”

 _I’ve had enough with all these excuses_. “Then I’LL do it, damn it! I’LL join those guys with you and I’LL do all the dirty work so you won’t have to! Okay!?" He didn’t even know how that would be possible, but the words spilled forth nonetheless.

At that, Isa gasped.

_“I always get stuck with the icky jobs.”_

“No!” He closed eyes shut and shook head vigorously. “No! No! That’s the _last_ thing I want!”

“That is IT! I’ve heard enough of your nonsense! You’re coming with me, by force if necessary! I don’t care if I have to DRAG you!”

Strong rays of sun create dark shadows. The brighter Lea’s light was, the darker the shadows he cast over Isa’s heart. The more Lea wanted to protect him, the stronger it made his guilt. Isa had been pretending to be so strong for Lea’s sake. Hiding all his pain. But now, the facade was slipping; the mask was coming off. He couldn’t bear it anymore.

“DON’T YOU GET IT ALREADY!?”

Lea was taken aback by Isa’s sudden outburst. He certainly wasn’t calm anymore.

“I don’t want you to suffer any more for my sake!!” There were tears streaming down his face. “I serve no purpose to you, okay!? I’m just a worthless burden!! All I ever do is cause you trouble!! You don’t NEED me!!" He shouted his laments at the red sky. “You’d be better off if I just disappeared!!”

 _No! He’s going berserk_. Lea immediately rushed over to his friend.

Isa felt himself losing control and fell to his knees. _No. This is all my fault. I’m going to...change into a monster..._ Trembling, he looked at Lea with a pitiable expression. “...Don’t hold back, Lea. Please.”

Seeing his expression, Lea’s heart sank and he completely froze. He had no time to react before Isa went totally berserk. He came at Lea with a savage blow, sending him sprawling on the pavement. But Lea got right back up. Each time he got up, he was viciously thrown about again. 

_He’s way too powerful for me to handle_.

“Stop it!”

_If I don’t do something, I’m done. What do I do? What should I do?_

“Just stop!”

He tried his best to get away, but there was barely anything he could do.

“STOOOP IT!” Lea screamed at the top of his lungs.

At that, Isa flinched for barely a split second—but it was enough for Lea to dart behind him and knock him out with a blow to the back of his neck. It was the first time he’d ever had to use force on his best friend. He _really_ didn’t want to. But in that instant, he determined there was no other way. 

Lea collapsed to his knees beside Isa, horrified at what he’d just done. He wasn’t sure whether it was right to use force on him. But he was sure—mostly sure—that it was the best option out of the ones he had at the time.

_What did I do...? I-I had no choice... This was the only way to stop him..._

He cast his eyes at Isa, sprawled out on the stone pavement. He wasn’t injured. Lea cradled him in his arms.

_So, what now? He can’t...control himself anymore._

Tears poured down Lea’s face and he shut his eyes tightly. 

_What should I do? What’s the best thing? Do I...finish him off? I know...that’s what he’d want me to do... He...wouldn’t wanna live like this... If he changes into a monster and loses himself..._

He stared at Isa’s sleeping face for a long, long time, crying.

_This is probably...the right thing to do. I should do it...before he wakes up..._

But Lea couldn’t bring himself to move. He knew what he was supposed to do. But he _really_ didn’t want to do it.

Then he remembered Isa’s words. He wanted to give Lea a vacation where he could do whatever he wanted. He overexerted himself and collapsed. Afterwards, he finally accepted Lea’s help and told him:

_“Do what you want.”_

_That’s right. That’s what he was working so hard for. I do...whatever the hell I want!_

“I'm bringing you back!” Lea screamed with all his heart. “No matter what, I’ll always bring you back! Even if you go into the next life, I’ll _still_ bring you back! I promise!” With that, he stopped crying, wiped away his tears, and finally found the strength to lift himself to his feet. Determination had now awakened into his heart.

_If those bastards want him so badly, they must need him for something. Which means they need him alive and under control. I’ve decided._

Lea picked up Isa off the ground and put him on his back.

“I’m sorry. But I’m taking you home with me.”

He lifted his hand and, sure enough, a dark portal opened up. He walked and walked until he made it out on the other side.

Finally, he returned to where it all started, the lab with the large computer. As soon as he made it out of the dark portal, Lea’s legs gave out. He dropped the unconscious Isa onto the floor not far from him, then collapsed himself. 

Several apprentices happened to be in the computer lab when they arrived.

Braig ignored Lea and took a few steps toward Isa. He was smirking. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t Subject X.” _Guess the younger Xehanort was right. He really would come back to us all on his own._

“You can’t seriously want him back, Xehanort? He’s a traitor! This boy was with Ansem,” Dilan protested. “We should eradicate him.”

“Nonsense,” Xehanort said, looking down on the boy. “It’s not a traitor. Just a flawed specimen that has wandered out from under the microscope.”

Those were the only words Lea heard before he totally blacked out. 

* * *

“Why d’you always gotta cause me so much trouble…?” Axel grumbled, his steps faltering under the weight of the girl—the puppet—he was carrying. His legs buckled beneath him, and Xion tumbled from his arms as he fainted.

Xemnas moved in to take over and scooped up the puppet.

 _I had not expected that Xion at her present level would lose to Axel_ , Xemnas thought. _But perhaps that is the power of one touched, however indirectly, by the boy with the Keyblade. The depth of one’s connection to Sora will be borne out in battle. If there is a way for Nobodies to gain what we lack—namely, a heart—perhaps a link to Sora would serve as the catalyst._

_A very special Nobody and a puppet…and a Nobody deeply connected to both of them. Changes were bound to happen. And the one to gain the most power was not the puppet after all. If the puppet is not powerful enough, the only thing to do is to give it more power. So long as one is within my grasp, it doesn’t matter which. Roxas and Xion will assimilate into a single being, and so long as one remains, that is enough. In the end, all I need is Kingdom Hearts._

Xemnas vanished with Xion.

A little while later, Saïx walked through the hall. He peered down at Axel, still lying on the floor.

“What was it...that you were trying to protect all this time?” he muttered. 

_What were you really after, Lea? We joined the Organization at the same time, and formulated our plan._

_“I promise you. I will never leave this organization until I find a way to get you out of here.”_

_“What are those marks on your face?”_

_“Oh. They’re...upside-down tears. A reminder to myself.”_

_“Of what?”_

_“It’s like those guys said. I have no heart to ‘deceive’ me anymore. Well, I’ve decided. I may as well embrace it. I won’t be able to doubt myself. I’ll be able to act without any hesitation or guilt. I’ll destroy anyone in our way. And I won’t feel a thing. I know exactly what I want. No guilty conscience to deceive me.”_

_At this point, it’s just an idle fantasy. Everything changed. You, and me._

Saïx turned his back on Axel and walked away.

* * *

He arrived in the room where Xemnas was waiting. Xion was already inside of the pod.

“You are late. What kept you?” Xemnas inquired.

“...My apologies. I was attempting to locate Roxas.”

“That will not be necessary. The puppet has been returned to us. That will suffice. How are the devices?”

“Operational.”

“Then start them up.”

Saix walked toward the pod containing Xion and flipped a switch. Memories began flowing into her.

“This will make you complete,” Xemnas said, peering inside. Then he turned to Saïx and put a hand on his shoulder. “You have done well.”

It was the first time Xemnas had ever touched him. 

_“Great job, Isa. You’ve been working really well lately.”_

It was same way Lea used to pat him on the shoulder. Saïx wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

* * *

The next day, Axel woke up in his bed, as usual. He had no idea that the Dusks carried him there.

_I’m bruised and aching all over. But what gave me such a beating? My head feels heavy and full of fog._

Axel shook it as he gingerly sat up in bed. “Ugh… What’s the matter with me?”

_Why do I get the feeling that I’m forgetting something terribly important? There’s just…a gap. Something is missing. Oh, I know—this is loneliness. Right. Roxas left the Organization. Maybe that’s what I was blanking on._

He reclined in his bed with his arms behind his head. “How did this happen?”  
  
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Axel noticed a white envelope on the nightstand. He picked it up.

_No one mentioned leaving anything for me._

When he opened it, the only thing inside was a stick. It was from an ice cream bar, inscribed with the word ‘Winner’.

“Roxas…” He mumbled his best friend’s name.

_It’s so like him to just leave this ice cream stick behind. Come tomorrow, I’ll probably get the order to hunt him down, but leaving this here makes it feel so permanent._

Permanent.

Axel looked outside his window at the heart-shaped moon. “Just you wait. I’ll bring you back, best friend. I promise.”


End file.
